How kidnapped students, travellers in Delta were rescued

The kidnapped students and travellers along the Evwreni axis of the East-West road in Ughelli North local government Area of Delta State were released after unspecified amount of money was paid as ransom to their kidnappers.

The nine persons kidnapped were between the ages of 18-28 years names withheld, boarded a Sienna car with Lagos registration number KRD-679 HU.

One of the kidnapped male victims is a Naval Officer attached to Bayelsa State JTF, another was a female Youth Corp member serving at Cross Rivers State, it was gathered.

According to a security source from the Delta State Police Command who confirmed their release, "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 statements." Vanguard source revealed.

Narrating their ordeal at the hand of the kidnappers, one of the victims, who gave his name as Uwem said, "We were coming from Calabar in Cross River State on Easter Good Friday and before we could get to Ughelli at about 8:pm, we saw five young men from the bush that barricaded our vehicle and started shooting sporadically. 

"They ordered us from the vehicle ushered us into the forest, they collected all our mobile phones and transferred our monies from our various accounts to a POS account  before they contacted our families.

"Our kidnappers told us that we were not their targets, 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 there some of us were asked to give statements."

A parent whose daughter was among the kidnapped victims held that a ransom was paid to secure the release of his child to the glory of God, "my daughter is hale and healthy.

"The kidnappers told me to meet with a woman who has been at Otovwodo-Ughelli since 6:am whose child was among kidnapped to collect a ransom from her and add it to my own and I responded by saying no."

PEBNEWS source disclosed that one of the victims paid N8 million, some N200,000 each before their release.