Six kidnapped Abuja residents released
Six residents of Bwari Area Council, who were reportedly kidnapped by unsuspected persons that took advantage of the festive season to perpetrate their dastardly act, have been released.
It was gathered that on New Year Day when people were busy celebrating, a young girl in her early 20s, Josephine Danlami, was kidnapped while coming out of Zuma 1 village. The kidnappers abducted her on January 1.
Zuma 1 one village is about two kilometres to Bwari.
The village, according to findings, is where Veritas University is sited.
A source said Josephine is the financial secretary, Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA).
Report has it that she was taken to the Bwari General Hospital after her release.
On January 3, another person, 23-year-old Isaiah Bamayi, a Gbagyi indigene like Josephine Danlami, was also kidnapped while working on his father’s farm.
He was kidnapped while working with his father and other family members on the farm in Bwari.
Narrating the incident, a church member of the victim, who declined to mention his name, told our correspondent that the young man was packing harvested yams and other produce on the farm when the intruders took him away.
It was gathered that the kidnappers asked for ransom of three million Naira, but it could not be ascertained if the family eventually paid before Isaiah was released on December 4.
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It was also learnt that special police officers from the Special Anti-Robbery and Kidnapping Squad of the Inspector General of Police on January 1 arrested two persons suspected to be kidnappers living in Garam, a boundary town between Niger State and FCT.
Narrating the story, a resident of the area, who preferred anonymity, said that in the peak of Harmattan that ushered in the New Year, 10 Abba Kyari boys and some Fulani boys broke into his house in a commando style.
He said having seen his face, mode of his dress (night wear), his wife and pictures hanged on the wall, the Fulani men told the police officers that they were in a wrong house.
However, they later located the house of their suspects, but the person was not in.
They arrested his wife, children and his younger brother, who investigation said was recently released from the police custody on allegation of the crime he had committed.
The police also searched the houses of the two victims before leaving to pick up the third persons believed to be in charge of weapons they were using for their kidnapping.
The Chairman of Bwari Area Council, John Gabaya, who confirmed the development and their release while speaking with reporters, said: “The people who were kidnapped within the first three days of the year were released yesterday (Sunday) by the kidnappers and we are thanking God today for what He has done. Two sets of people were kidnapped. The first were three and the second were also three and all of them have been released and now reunited with their families. For now, we have no incident of kidnapping.”
Asked if any ransom was paid, he said: “Yes, ransom was paid. The family had to contribute to pay the ransom for the release of their people.”
But he did not disclose the amount paid before they were released.
