Gunmen Release Wedding Guests After Payment Of N7.5m Ransom

Four wedding guests who were kidnapped along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State, have regained freedom after their families paid a ransom of N7.5m for their release.

The victims were abducted on Sunday, Jan 16 2022. The kidnappers were dressed in army uniform, Punch Metro reports.

The abductees were returning from a wedding when their car broke down on the expressway.

While making efforts to tow the vehicle, the gunmen emerged from the bush and abducted all seven travelers.

Three of them were later set free and asked to raise N60m to secure the release of the other four.

One of the three released victims, Folahan Akinsola said a sum of N7.5m was paid before the other four victims were set free.

He said: “We were unable to get the whole ransom they demanded, but we had to face them with what we gathered. We ended up paying N7.5m and they were released around 1am today (Tuesday).

“I didn’t follow them to give the kidnappers the money at the location they chose because I was advised that my face was all over social media. After they got the money, they released my friends.

“We already got back to the Divisional Police Officer in Isara to brief him. We also collected our car; but the faulty Toyota Corolla is still there. A friend of mine told me that some people we don’t know are taking advantage of my friends’ situation to post some account numbers to get money.

“We were the ones who raised the money alongside the company my friends work for, among others.”