Contrary to reports making the rounds in social media, some online platform and newspapers, claiming that no ransom was paid for the release of the kidnapped students and travellers along the Evwreni axis of the East-West road in Ughelli North local government council, Delta State, it has been revealed that different categories of ransom was paid to their abductors before their elease, SOUTHERNVOICENEWS. COM can m authoritatively report.
According to a security source from the Delta State Police Command, an unspecified ransom was paid to their kidnappers for 9 persons kidnapped.
Discreet investigations revealed that those kidnapped were between the ages of 18-28yrs with names withheld. They were said to have boarded a Sienna car with registration number; Lagos:KRD-679 HU.
One of the kidnapped male victims is a Naval Officer attached to Bayelsa State JTF, and another was a female Youth Corps member serving at Cross Rivers state, it was gathered.
According to security sources from the Delta State Police command, the victims have been released but after ransom was paid.
“The kidnapped victims regained their freedom after their families paid undisclosed amount of money as ransom to their abductors.
Only four of the victims voluntarily gave their statement to the police while one of the victims who claimed to be a Naval Officer attached to JTF Bayelsa State, Name Withheld, and five others refused to give their statement.” The source revealed.
Narrating their ordeal at the hand of the kidnappers, one of the victims, who gave his names as Uwem other name withheld said, “We were coming from Calabar in Cross River State on Easter Good Friday and before we could get to Ughelli at about 8:00pm, we saw five young men from the bush that bracketed our vehicle and started shooting sporadically.
“They ordered us from the vehicle ushered us into the forest, they collected all our mobile phones and transfered our money from our various accounts to a Pos account before they contacted our families.
“Our kidnappers told us that we were not their target, rather they were awaiting a coaster bus coming from Port Harcourt in rivers state before our vehicle ran into them.
“It was after our families paid the ransom that we were released on Easter Monday and a Keke rider helped us from the road side to Ughelli police station. It was from the station that some of us were asked to give statement.”
A parent whose daughter was among the kidnapped victims held that a ransom was paid to secure the release of my child and to God be the glory, my daughter is hale and healthy.
“The kidnappers told me to meet with a woman who has been at Otovwodo-Ughelli since 6:00am whose child was among kidnapped to collect a ransom from her and add it to my own and I responded by saying no.”
We are calling on the state, local government, traditional rulers, president general of communities close to these place especially the EastWest road to come together and bulldoze the area open to about 500 meters from the road. With this, most of the safe heaven for the criminal elements will be destroyed.