Suspected kidnappers who abducted four Lagos landlords last Saturday have released their victims.
Saturday PUNCH learnt that the men, who were landlords on Oshorun Heritage Estate, were freed around 11pm on Thursday.
Although the police claimed that no money was paid to the kidnappers, a resident in the area said family members of the victims paid ransom to the kidnappers, but did not disclose the amount.
Our correspondent had reported that some gunmen, numbering nine, attacked the victims while jogging around Lekki Gardens Estate.
The area bordered Lagos and Ogun states.
The assailants had reportedly shot sporadically into the air for about five minutes before taking the victims away in a speedboat.
Our correspondent reported that the gunmen later demanded N300m for each of the victims.
A source said the victims were finally released on Thursday, adding that an undisclosed amount of money was paid.
He said, “They were released on Thursday around 11pm. They looked tired and malnourished. They were taken home by the police around the area. The Ogun State Commissioner of Police has already visited some of them at home. Although they are saying nothing was paid for their release, I gathered that they paid some money, which was not up to the amount demanded by the kidnappers. But I don’t know the exact amount that was paid as ransom.”
The Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 2 Lagos, AIG Abdulmajid Ali, confirmed the development, adding that no money was paid.
He attributed the release to the pressure the police mounted on the kidnappers.
A statement on Friday by the Zone 2 police spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, added that Ali commended the police operatives and other security operatives detailed for the rescue operation of the victims.
The statement said, “The affected victims were rescued on Thursday, without any ransom, barely two days after the deployment of special teams by the AIG zone 2 for the operation.
“The AIG has reassured the residents of the area of adequate security as he has deployed a large number of police operatives from Lagos, Ogun and the zonal headquarters, Onikan, Lagos, to the area to fortify its security.”
The statement said the police boss had approved the immediate construction of a police station in the area to serve the communities for adequate protection of lives and property of the more than 100,000 residents in the affected communities.
The AIG reportedly promised that necessary steps would be taken to dislodge the hoodlums terrorising residents in the riverine areas within the zone.
No comments:
Post a Comment