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Kidnappers Collect N30,000 Ransom To Free Victim, Police Kick

The abductors were said to have previously demanded N200,000 for his release but later settled for N30,000 when they realised that the Beninoise could not get the money.

An unnamed man from Benin Republic has been released by kidnappers after paying a ransom of N30,000 to his abductors.

The abductors were said to have previously demanded N200,000 for his release but later settled for N30,000 when they realised that the Beninoise could not get the money.

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It was gathered that the foreigner who had come for menial jobs during the last Eid-el-Fitr, was abducted on Thursday along Imeko-Matale Road, Okuta Wewe area of Imeko/Afon Local Government Area of Ogun State.

The Balogun of Imeko Isale, Chief Ganiyu Akinleye said the abductors who were a five-man gang of Fulani men, released the man on Saturday along the roadside at Ayedire, Eebefun village, Imeko, after collecting the N30,000.

“A ransom of N30,000 was paid before he was released along the roadside at Ayedire, Eebefun village, Imeko. The victim is still at a particular hospital in Imeko,” the community leader said.

He told journalists that the Beninoise sustained a head injury in the hands of his abductors and was taken to an undisclosed hospital in the town.
 
Akinleye added that the police and its Special Anti-Kidnapped Squad were informed about the case after which the security operatives searched the bushes on Monday, to arrest the suspects.

“The case was reported to the Nigeria police and the Federal Special Anti-kidnapping Squad. The squad took appropriate steps by combing the bushes area of those villages on Monday, but they could not see anybody. It was late before we got information about the incident,” he concluded.

But the spokesperson for the state police command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the police were not aware of the N30,000 ransom paid to the abductors adding that they were not adequately informed during the process of negotiation.

He told SaharaReporters that efforts of the police were sabotaged because the man's people did not carry them along during the process of negotiation and payment of the ransom.

The spokesperson said the police wouldn't have tolerated such as the police have always discouraged payment of ransom to kidnappers. 

"I'm not aware of such. We always discourage payment of ransom to kidnappers. We have been saying it times without number. The people concerned whenever they want to start negotiating with the kidnappers, would not inform the police. They would cut us off because they know we are not going to be party to that so I am not aware whether someone paid N30,000 to kidnappers or not.

"The police moved their immediately the case was reported and combed the bushes but these people did not even allow us to carry out our duties diligently," he said. 

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CRIME Insecurity