Student downplays police intervention, says abductors ultimately collected a ransom of N40 million.
A student of the Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa, who was kidnapped alongside 29 others, has disclosed that the kidnappers collected about N40 million in ransom before they were granted freedom.
Speaking with journalists on Tuesday, the victim recounted how the seven-man gang ambushed their vehicles, shot at the tyres, and robbed them of their belongings before abducting them into the bush.
She further explained that once in the thick bush, the kidnappers allowed the victims to rest upon realizing some were exhausted.
She disclosed that around midnight on Saturday, the kidnappers instructed the captives to call their relatives to demand a ransom of N10 million each.
The victim also stated that after several pleadings, the kidnappers grouped them into students and non-students, demanding that students collectively pay N10 million while others should pay N10 million each.
She 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.”
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Recall that on Monday, about 30 travellers, including some students of the polytechnic, were abducted by kidnappers along the Abuja-Nasarawa Highway on Friday.
The kidnappers ambushed the vehicles transporting the travellers and took them into a nearby bush in the Uke area of Nasarawa State.
