Soldiers wished us safe journey on our way to deliver ransom, says parent of freed ABU student

One of the parents of the nine students of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, who were abducted along the Kaduna-Abuja road, has narrated his experience with soldiers on their way to deliver ransom.

The students were abducted on November 15, 2020 when bandits blocked the highway and opened fire on motorists.

The 300 level students, from the department of French, were travelling to Lagos for a programme at the Nigerian French Language Village (NFLV), when the bandits struck.

It was gathered that the students were released at about 12 midnight on Saturday after the parents paid various sums of money ranging between N500,000 and N4 million as ransom.

A man, who was among the team of four parents that went to deliver the ransom to the bandits, said they were directed to come to Abuja junction.

“On arriving Kaduna, we were told that security personnel were monitoring the bandits in the bush. But surprisingly, the bandits called us and told us to come and wait at Abuja junction,” he said in a phone interview.

“They sent us a telephone number to call. We called the number and the person came to take us to a car. Unknown to me, the owner of the car was also a victim — his daughter was among those abducted.

“We drove along the Kaduna-Abuja road — that was around 11pm — to deliver the ransom and other things they demanded.

“When we got to Dutse, we stopped at a junction leading to the bush. We met soldiers there and they stopped us and made the four of us in the vehicle to sit on the ground. The soldiers noticed that all of us were carrying nylon bags and the items, and they asked what was in the nylon bags.

“We told them that we are carrying money to go and pay ransom for the students that were kidnapped. The soldiers wished us safe journey to the bush and we parked the car at the junction.

“We trekked far inside the bush from Dutse and handed over the money to them and they released the girls to us.

“The bandits are very clever; they planned everything very well. We came back and picked the vehicle where we parked by the main road and returned with the girls to Kaduna around 1am.

“Some parents paid N1 million, some paid over N1 million, some paid N2 milion, some paid over N500,000, depending on how each parent bargains with the hoodlums because they spoke separately with the parents.

“Some parents were asked to drop their money at a particular place at Abuja junction and leave the place. Then it appears somebody picked the money, and notified the people in the bush that the money had been paid.

“Four of us went to deliver the money, but we didn’t know that we were all victims.”

Another parent, who confirmed the release of his daughter, said he paid over N500,000 after pleading with the bandits.

“After series of bargaining, they said I should pay N1 million, but I told them that I cannot afford to raise that amount. I told them I have over N500,000 and they asked me to bring it,” he said.

“I sold my goats, pigs and other belongings to pay the money.”

Mohammed Jalige, spokesman of the Kaduna state police command, could not be reached on telephone as calls to his line did not go through.