Kidnappers Free 2 Clergymen, Collect N2.2m Ransom

BY SEGUN ADEBAYO – Two clerics abducted at Ayetoro, headquarters of Yewa-North local government area of Ogun state, have finally regained freedom from their kidnappers after family members and friends parted with N2.2 million as ransom.

Initially, the gunmen, who abducted the clerics in front of their house shortly after arriving from a public lecture, had demanded N15 million ransom, but later settled for N2.2 million after negotiations with the victims’ families.

Reports indicated that the kidnappers, numbering about five, took their time to have a fill of the prepared food in the house before ferrying away Hussein AbdulJelil and his friend, Ilyas Muhammed Jamiu on Saturday at about 10 pm.

The reports further said despite the Police manhunt and efforts to track down the kidnappers, they were still able to successfully collect the ransom from family members of the abducted clergymen.

While confirming the victims’ freedom from their abductors’ enclave, elder brother to one of them, Hussein Ibrahim said the family and friends pulled resources together for the ransom payment to secure the release of the clerics.

“They have been released today after we gave them N2.2 million as ransom. They initially insisted on N15 million saying they were two people, but in the end, they agreed to collect N2. 2 million from us”, Hussein said

Hussein, who gave a vivid account of the kidnapping incident, said; “The kidnappers seized the phones of the occupants of the house, went to the kitchen, ate the food that the clerics’ wife had prepared earlier for the victims with all the meats in the soup.

He said the incident happened around 10 pm when they (the clerics) were alighting from the Toyota Highlander which his brother just bought about two months ago.

According to him; “The kidnappers were five and when they came, they had laid ambush somewhere in the dark and were able to capture them immediately. After they took them, they marched them inside, seized our phones, went to the kitchen took the Eba and pot of soup, ate the food and all the meats in the soup before taking them away.”

On why the house occupants did not resist the criminal elements, Hussein said they were armed with dangerous weapons, adding that the kidnappers only contacted the family later to demand the N15 million as ransom.

Contacted for reaction on the incident, Ogun State Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi said his office has not been officially briefed about the latest development, promising to get necessary information out to the public later.

DSP Oyeyemi however assured that the Command will do all within its powers to arrest the abductors, saying; “We will get them. We have got others in Ijebu-Ode and other areas in the state. We will get them and deal with them .” – With Vanguard report