Terrorist free abducted NYSC members, others after N9m ransom payment
Two members of the National Youth Service Corps, Jennifer Iorliam and Joseph Aondona, who were abducted last Tuesday on their way to the NYSC Orientation Camp in Kebbi State, have been released after their abductors collected a ransom of N9m.
The corps members and four others were freed on Tuesday, spending one week in the kidnappers’ den.
Our correspondent had reported that the victims boarded a bus from Benue State to Sokoto State before their vehicle was intercepted around the Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State. They were supposed to board another bus from Sokoto to their destination in Kebbi State.
The bus driver and some passengers were said to have escaped and reported the incident at police stations in Zamfara and Benue states.
The Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, had said his administration was working in collaboration with security agents to ensure the rescue of the victims.
Amid the telecommunications shutdown in many parts of Zamfara, the terrorist reached out to the victims’ families, demanding N2m ransom for each of them.
Iorliam’s elder sister, Judith Benson, who spoke briefly to one of our correspondents on Wednesday, said the kidnappers released her sister and other victims after collecting N9m.
Benson stated that she and some family members were on their way to Benue from Zamfara where they had gone to pick up Iorliam, adding that her sister was weak.
She said, “She has been released. She was released yesterday (Tuesday) and we are on our way home. The bandits collected a lot of money. All of us that our people were kidnapped contributed the money. They collected N9m. They were six in number.”
The Police Public Relations Officer in Zamfara State, SP Muhammed Sheu, did not pick up our correspondent’s calls and had yet to reply to a text message sent to his line on the victims’ release.
Aside from the two corps members, others released are a student of the Uthman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto, Sendo Kondo; two brothers, Muhamadu Saminu and Muhamadu Safiam and one Ruth Tsokar.
Post Comment