Armed gunmen have kidnapped the 72-year-old uncle and foster father to former President Goodluck Jonathan in Otuoke, Bayelsa State.

The ex – President’s uncle, Inegite Jonathan, was reportedly kidnapped at about 10 p.m. on Tuesday night, at his residence in Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa.

This is the second time Jonathan would be kidnapped in the last 24 months, as he was similarly abducted on February 28, 2014 but he was reportedly freed a few weeks later by security forces.

A relation of the victim, Oru Solomon, who also confirmed the incident appealed to the kidnappers to consider his old have and free him.

The Bayelsa Police Public Relations Officer, Asini Butswat, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP, also confirmed the incident and said that the police was trailing the kidnappers.

“On the 17 February, 2016, at about 03.30hrs, seven unknown gunmen abducted one Inengite Nitabai at his residence in Otuoke,Ogbia Local Government Area. A massive manhunt has been launched by a combined team of Marine Police and Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Command, to rescue the victim and arrest the abductors. Investigation is ongoing,” Butswat said in a statement.

Speaking after his release in March, 2014, Jonathan had described his first encounter with kidnappers as traumatic. The old man said he was brutalised by his abductors, having been beaten with the butt of a gun and kicked on the floor.

He said further that he was tortured, with his hands tied behind his back and a blindfold placed on his face, in order to force him to convince his adopted son who was then President to pay the ransom demanded.