There is an ugly update on the release of the three students of the Ahmadu Belo University by kidnappers.
According to their families, they coughed out N5.5m to ensure their release.
In this sense, they have debunked the claims that their children were rescued by the police, which claimed on Wednesday that they had gallantly rescued the victims.
But the Kaduna State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Yakubu Sabo stated that his Wednesday statement was outrightly misquoted.
According to ‘The Nation’, DSP Sabo reposted his statement where he had said: “I also want to inform you that the three ABU students involved in the incident of 26th August 2019 along Kaduna Abuja Road have been released today and they were reunited with their families accordingly.
“Until today, they were the three victims left in captivity. Thanks.”
Trouble actually started when an aide of the President, Bashir Ahmed, announced on Twitter: “The Kaduna State police command has rescued three students of Ahmadu Bello University, ABU Zaria abducted on Monday along Abuja-Kaduna Highway.”
But in a reply to this tweet, one Sadiq Ango, a family member of one of the kidnapped victims, dismissed the claim, saying it took the family members 48 hours of negotiation to secure the release of the abducted students.
Ango, in his reply to the tweet, said: “Lies! It took us 48 long hours of negotiations with the kidnappers to secure the release of our sister to us, NOT the police.
“Ransom was paid in full as negotiated with the three families involved.”
However family sources of the three students, some of whose parents are based in Minna, Niger State and Abuja respectively, said N5.5 million was jointly contributed and paid as ransom.
Banditry and kidnapping have continued to thrive despite various efforts by government and security forces.
Killing, deadly extortion and more kidnapping have continued to recur in different parts of the country.
