No fewer than 17 persons, who were kidnapped seven days ago by yet-to-be-identified gunmen in the Gwargwada-Sabo community in the Gadabuke Development Area of Nasarawa State, have been set free amidst pressure from the police.
The victims were last Friday kidnapped while observing their Isha’i prayers in a mosque in the Toto Local Government Area of the state.
One of the victims told our correspondent that their families paid N2.2m as ransom to secure their release, in addition to food items like grains and oil, among others.
According to him, some of the victims, who did not have money, were asked to give grains, and those whose families were financially buoyant paid heavy amounts of money.
He noted that the kidnappers had informants, who gave out information on the social status of their victims to them.
The victims are a library official attached to the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, three ladies and 13 male adults.
Confirming the release of the victims to The PUNCH in Lafia on Tuesday, the Police Public Relation Officer, ASP Ramhan Nansel, said he was not sure if ransom was paid before they were released.
“The command is not aware if ransom was paid. What I have to say is that the victims were released from the kidnappers’ den following high pressure mounted on them by police personnel, who were hunting them,” he stated.
