A student of the Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa, who was kidnapped alongside 29 others has disclosed that the kidnappers collected about N40m ransom before they were granted freedom.
PUNCH Metro reported on Monday that about 30 travellers, including some students of the polytechnic were abducted by kidnappers along the Abuja-Nasarawa Highway on Friday.
Our correspondent had, on Sunday, gathered from a source who pleaded anonymity due to the nature of the incident that the kidnappers laid siege to the vehicles conveying the travellers and abducted them into a nearby bush in the Uke area of Nasarawa State.
The source stated further that a student among the abductees was travelling to her family in Abuja.
The victim who spoke exclusively with PUNCH Metro, on Tuesday, on the condition of anonymity for fear of attack by the kidnappers, stated that the seven-man kidnappers ambushed their vehicles, shot at the tyres and dispossessed them of their belongings before abducting them into a nearby bush.
The victim narrated further that after the kidnappers had led them into the thick bush, they (the victims) were made to take a rest when they realised that some of the victims were tired.
She disclosed further that at about midnight on Saturday, the kidnappers instructed them to call their relatives to demand N10m ransom each.
The victim narrated further that after several pleadings from the victims, the kidnappers grouped them into two categories of students and non-students and demanded that the students should collectively pay N10m while others should pay N10m each.
The victim added, “We, who are students, started calling our relatives and money was rallied around to make the payment. There is an Alhaji among the other group who raised about N20m and other people raised about N10m. The total money they got was about N40m.
“During the whole incident, we did not see any police officer come around till we were released. It was after they said they had got the money that they allowed us to go. We have gone to the police station but were told to write a statement.”
Meanwhile, a relative had earlier on Tuesday told our correspondent that the victim had reached out to the family informing them that the kidnappers had released them.
“She reached out to us this morning that they had been released. I am on my way to the police station because the number she called us with has not been reachable after the call. I will give you an update later.”
In a follow-up conversation, the relative disclosed that the victim had been reunited with the family.
“She has arrived home. We are grateful that she is safe. She is resting.”
Efforts made by our correspondent to get the reaction of the Nasarawa State Police Public Relations Officer, Rahman Nansel, proved abortive as messages sent to him were not responded to while calls made to his telephone line were unanswered as of the time of filing this report.
