About 24 hours after five people were abducted on the Akure-Owo Expressway in Ondo State, one of the victims was reportedly released on Thursday morning.
Five staff members of the Federal Medical Centre and the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, both in Owo, were on Tuesday evening abducted by some gunmen at Amurin village on the Akure-Owo Expressway in the Owo Local Government Area of the state.
Two of the victims are lecturers at the polytechnic, while the others are nurses and a doctor at the FMC.
The kidnappers were suspected to be Fulani herdsmen and dressed in mobile police uniform.
It was learnt that they stopped the vehicle conveying the victims by disguising as policemen at a checkpoint.
However, the doctor, who is said to be heavily pregnant, regained her freedom from the den of the kidnappers on Thursday morning.
A source at the FMC identified the pregnant doctor as Jumoke Aiyeku, adding that an undisclosed amount of money was paid by her family to the hoodlums as ransom before she was released.
The source said, “The abducted and released doctor is the treasurer of the Association of Resident Doctors, FMC, Owo Branch.
She was released after a ransom was paid; her release was not free; but she is in a stable condition now. Also, it may be her condition that persuaded the abductors to set her free. “
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Femi Joseph, however, said efforts of the command led to the release of the victim.
Since the abduction took place, our men have been at work, they haven’t slept. This was how they freed the victim and no ransom was paid,” Joseph stated.
It was also gathered that the kidnappers had contacted the families of the remaining victims and demanded N50m ransom before they would be released.
