… “Rev. Fr delivers ransom.”
by Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Facts have emerged that the twenty (20) medical students, from the University of Jos and University of Maiduguri, who were abducted Thursday, August 15, 2024, along Otukpo-Enugu highway in Benue State, were not released free-of-charge by their abductors.
The students regained freedom, following the alleged payment of N50 million ransoms by families of the victims, family sources have revealed.
Recalled that the students were kidnapped, while on their way to attend the annual conference of the Federation of Catholic Medical and Dental Students (FECAMDS) holding at the Enugu State University of Technology, scheduled last weekend.
Benue State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Superintendent of Police (SP) Catherine Anene, confirmed the release of the students to journalists in a WhatsApp chat at exactly 11pm. She, however, described it as “a rescue,” while promising (in vain) to make available details of the rescued operations.
However, sources within security and abductees’ families confided that each family paid the sum of N2.5m for their students, totaling N50 million ransoms as demanded by the kidnappers on a Sunday.
The ransom, sources corroborated one after another, was delivered in Enugu State by a Reverend Father, while the students were released in a forest in Utonkon, in Ado LGA of Benue State, around midnight. Utokon is about 36km from Otukpo, in Benue State.
National Accord reported that, “According to a family source, the ransom was ready for delivery on a Thursday but, when the Reverend Father bearing the ransom went to the spot agreed with the kidnappers, they were nowhere to be seen.
“The kidnappers later contacted the cleric stating that they were under pressure from security operatives and had to abort the collection on Thursday.
“The day before yesterday, they took the ransom round but they could not meet the person, who was supposed to collect it. So, when they met yesterday and collected, they said they were trying to avoid security; that was in Enugu.
“So, they got the money there and released the medical students in Utonkon, Ado Local Government, Benue State,” the source said.
Following their release from the forest, the students were said to have trekked for several kilometres before they were located and picked by a team of security operatives and brought to Otukpo in the early hours of Saturday.
Security operatives left Otukpo around 5:05am Saturday morning along with all 20 students and members of their families for Abuja where they are reportedly scheduled to undergo medical check-ups and press conference at either Force Headquarters or Presidential Villa, a family source told journalists
About five days ago, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, had ordered the deployment of his Tactical Squad to Benue State and directed the State Commissioner of Police, CP Yabanet, to relocate to Otukpo LGA to rescue the students.
Efforts to get further information from Benue Police spokesperson, SP Catherine Anene, via phone call and WhatsApp message by journalist failed, as she neither picked her call nor responded to the message.