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January 12, 2001, Sun Star, Sayyafs seize British girl,

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January 12, 2001, Sun Star, Sayyafs seize British girl,

ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits seized on Wednesday night a six-year-old daughter of a British national married to a Filipina in the town of Lamitan, Basilan province, south of this city, a military official here said Thursday.

Lt. Col. Fredesvindo Covarrubias, chief of AFP Civil Relations Group (CRG) for Mindanao, identified the latest kidnapping victim as April Adzam Grant, 6, a grade one pupil of Barangay Sengal Elementary School.

Grant is the daughter of British national Frank Grant, who is married to a Filipina staying in Basilan, named Nina Razul Grant.

The military, however, learned that the elder Grant, an Islam convert and carrying a new name as Hadji Douglas Abdullah Grant, is presently in Scotland. Nina and April are just waiting for the petition to join Frank in Scotland.

Covarrubias said the young Grant was watching a television together with her mother inside their home when four unidentified armed men barged into the house in Barangay Sengal, Lamitan, Basilan around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Authorities, both the military and the police, learned from Mrs. Grant that at first the suspects asked for water to drink. Later the gunmen demanded P100,000 from Mrs. Grant and threatened to harm her daughter if she would not give in to their demand.

According to Mrs. Grant, the amount asked by the gunmen was too big and she was only able to shell out P1,000 at that time.

When Mrs. Grant failed to give in to the demand, the kidnappers armed with M-16 Armalite and Garand rifles seized the young Grant at gunpoint and brought her along with them. They fled towards the Bubawan river, where they boarded two motorized bancas and left for unknown directions under cover of darkness.

Covarrubias said troopers from the 18th Infantry Battalion backed by members of the Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) were deployed to track down the kidnappers and to rescue the young victim.

Initially, the Basilan-based 103rd Infantry Brigade suspect that the four armed men are followers of Isnilon Hapilon, one of the leader of the notorious bandits, who is facing a string of kidnapping and robbery cases in Basilan province.

"We have already received reports about their (Abu Sayyaf) plans to conduct atrocities and kidnap prospective target in the province, but we cannot be everywhere all the time," Covarrubias said.

The kidnapping of Grant took place two days after a Filipino Chinese businessman was seized by suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits in the island town of Sitangkai, Tawi-Tawi. Kidnapped Monday in the island town of Sitangkai was Steven Chua, owner and manager of Unicon Marketing in Tawi-Tawi.

Authorities in Tawi-Tawi has received information that the kidnappers, believed to be followers of notorious Abu Sayyaf "field marshal" Ghalib "Robot" Andang had managed to bring Chua to the forested mountains of Sulu province.

The kidnappers and Chua were last seen in Dungon island off Tandubas town, Tawi-Tawi, which is near the island province of Sulu, where the Abu Sayyaf are still holding captives Filipino dive master Roland Ullah and American Jeffrey Schilling.

Sulu police chief Candido Casimiro Jr. said a massive search was launched within his area of operations to locate the Chua. Joint military and police troops were deployed in Luuk town, Sulu in case the kidnappers brought their hostage businessman there before settling in a permanent place.

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stevenwarran

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on Dec 21, 12