The seven passengers kidnapped along the 9th Mile – Enugu Expressway, in Enugu State, penultimate Saturday, have been rescued by the police in the state.
The seven passengers, including a 17- year- old girl identified as Joy Omar, was said to have boarded a Sienna car at Ikeja, en-route Makurdi, Benue State, when the criminals abducted them and took them to an unknown destination.
The seven passengers were, however, set free by their captors, last Wednesday Morning, after the payment of some ransom.
Mrs. Evelyn Omar, the mother of Joy Omar, earlier told our correspondent that the kidnappers were demanding N15million ransom.
Joy was on her way to the Benue State University, for a Post-UTME test, when the incident occurred while she was on transit.
Joy’s mother, Evelyn, said she was thrown into confusion and sadness when she heard that her daughter had been kidnapped.
Evelyn, a fish seller, who broke the news of her daughter’s rescue to this correspondent, said, “I have been dancing since morning because they have rescued my daughter. There’s no need for story. Journalist, I will invite you when we are going for the thanksgiving in the church. My daughter is with my husband in Benue State. She will still do her examination. The policemen in Enugu tried so much. Immediately they kidnapped my daughter and were demanding a N15million ransome, my husband, who is a retired police officer, had to travel to Enugu to find out what was happening.
“My husband said the policemen in Enugu did their best as they combed the bush between 9th Mile and Enugu expressway in search of the kidnapped victims. Before the kidnappers freed them and set my daughter and the other six passengers free, money was paid. The kidnappers collected ransom, but I don’t know how much my husband gave them. This is not the time to ask. Let them return first. I thank God my daughter is free and alive. My husband is with her over there. They will return together after she has written her examination,” she explained.
Explaining further, Evelyn revealed that vehicles were reversing and making u-turns, but the driver conveying my daughter and other passengers drove straight into the hands of the kidnappers. He intentionally stopped at the spot where the kidnappers were.
“Everybody know us at MOPOL 20 Barracks, Ikeja. My daughter was going to write an examination at the Benue State University, Makurdi, when they kidnapped her and other six passengers that were in the vehicle. She boarded one Sienna car at Ikeja Bridge, beside a filling station. All the policemen are saying the same thing here – that the driver only handed the passengers over to his criminal colleagues.
“We also heard that when other motorists heard that armed robbers or kidnappers were blocking the highway, they all reversed and made a u-turn. But when it got to the turn of this driver, he refused to stop. He only applied the brake when he got to the spot where the kidnappers were. After handing over the victims to his criminal colleagues, he drove to the police station to exonerate himself from blame,” she concluded.
