About eight out of 10 people abducted last Monday by yet to be identified gunmen at Pegi Community in Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, have regained their freedom after paying N85 million ransom.
TribuneOnline reliably gathered that the ransom was varied as some paid between N5 and N10 million before they were released by their abductors, on Sunday afternoon.
When contacted on phone, however, the chairman, Pegi Community Development Association, Mr Taiwo Aderibigbe, who confirmed the release, further told TribuneOnline that he saw some of the freed victims, including a 12-year-old boy, around 3:45 pm, on Sunday.
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Investigations further revealed that some of them were molested by their captors over the failure of their family members to meet up with the ransom demanded.
A resident, who did not want his name in print, said the remaining two were still in their custody.
He said a victim, who was visiting a friend in Pegi, was abducted alongside the commercial motorcyclist taking him to the community.
“They (victims) said they paid between N5 to 10 million before they regained their freedom. It was so pathetic because the kidnappers were said to have even collected the money grudgingly,” a witness who wanted to remain anonymity, lamented.
The chairman of the community, Mr Aderibigbe, however, said security had been beefed up in the community by a combined team of policemen, members of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and vigilance group.
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