NIGERIA

Kidnapped students released after payment of ransom money

The two students of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Ogun State, who were abducted along Nigeria’s Lagos-Ibadan expressway on Friday evening have been released, writes Olasunkanmi Akinlotan for Premium Times.

Olayemi Adejare and Oluwatobi Orekoya and a former deputy vice-chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Adigun Agbaje were kidnapped near Sat Guru Maharaj Garden in the Ibadan end of the expressway. The kidnappers had contacted the families of their victims and demanded NGN10 million (US$22,800) each for the release of the two students. About 24 hours later, they agreed to reduce the ransom from NGN20 million to NGN4 million for the release of the two students.

A close relative of one of the victims, who gave his name as Segun Orekoya, confirmed his sister and her friend’s release. “They are not the only ones released, some other people too were released after paying varying amounts of money, so we learnt.”
Full report on the Premium Times site

Meanwhile, PUNCH reports that students of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, Ogun State, started a fundraising campaign to facilitate the release of their peers who were kidnapped by gunmen. PUNCH Metro gathered that the president of the students’ union of the school, Sodiq Ajani, and his publicity secretary, Joy Okolie, issued a statement soliciting funds to rescue their colleagues.
Full report on the PUNCH site