Kidnappers free Abuja victim after ‘$15,000 ransom in bitcoin’

Aishat Ardo, one of the residents of Abuja who was kidnapped on Saturday, has been freed after a ransom was paid by her father.

TheCable learnt that she was released by her abductors on Sunday night after her father paid $15,000 in bitcoin.

She was said to have been released in the Gwarimpa area of Abuja.

Security sources had told TheCable that at least five residents of Abuja were abducted on Saturday evening. Among them were two teenagers and a lecturer with Baze University, Abuja.

But the police said they only received report of the kidnap of two persons in the city.

In a statement, Anjuguri Manzah, spokesman of FCT police command, said the force had not learnt about the rampant cases of kidnapping as was earlier reported.

“The FCT police command wishes to assure residents that the federal capital territory is safe and the police has reinvigorated its crime-fighting strategy to ensure the to ensire the protection of lives and property,” he said.

“Contrary to speculations about an upsurge in this crime, the command wishes to correct the notion and inform the public that the aforementioned were the only cases reported to the police and efforts are being intensified to arrest the suspects.

“The command wants to reaffirm its commitment to protect lives and property by deploying pro-active security measures that would nip this crime in the bud.”

Manzah added that the police had rescued the lecturer. TheCable could not independently verify this claim.