It was either they paid ransom or they got killed…

The kidnappers of the three family members of Ahmed Ajobe, a former editor with Daily Trust, received at least N3 million before releasing them.

Ajobe confirmed this to EQ on Monday afternoon. He noted that the kidnappers reduced the initial N50 million ransom to N1 million for each family member after negotiations.

“As you may recall, they initially demanded N50 million. Then they later reviewed the sum to N10 million, N5 million following a series of negotiations. On the final note, it went down to a million per victim,” he told EQ.

READ ALSO: Gunmen Kidnap Ex-Editor’s Family Amid Mother’s Funeral Preparations, Demand N50m Ransom

EQ earlier reported that the abducted persons regained freedom on Sunday evening. They were kidnapped on Thursday afternoon on their way from a market in Awo, Ankpa Local Government Area (LGA) in Kogi State, where they had gone to get some items amid funeral preparations for Ajobe’s mother who died one week ago.

The former editor told EQ that the kidnappers abducted five people in total, but three were his family members.

“The victims on our side include my immediate younger sister, her son who drove the vehicle conveying them to the market that fateful day, and my older sister’s daughter who just graduated from the Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa,” Ajobe said.

“Two other victims, a male and female, were also abducted in a separate operation, bringing the number to five.”

He also revealed that the abductees were made to trek long distances at night through cattle paths until they got to the kidnappers’ base close to Onyagede in Benue State.

According to Ajobe, there were efforts by the police and vigilante corps, but the challenge of manpower and logistics foiled the security agencies’ attempts to secure their release.

READ ALSO: Ex-Editor’s Abducted Family Regain Freedom, Ransom Unknown

“Family members had to take their fate into their own hands. It’s either ransom or the victims get killed. So, we had to do the needful,” Ajobe said.

“Negotiations for their release were on all sides. Payments were coordinated and delivered at a designated location before the victims were released to a family member from the other side who arranged motorcycles to move the victims.”

He also disclosed that his younger sister’s son sustained a deep cut on the head. “Himself and my older sister’s daughter were in a coma and had to be rushed to a private hospital.”

While Ajobe further revealed that his older sister’s daughter was discharged at about 8:00 pm on Sunday, he said his younger sister’s son, who sustained an injury in the head, was still in hospital.
The post DETAILS: Ex-Editor, Family Paid N1m per Captive Before Kidnappers Released Them appeared first on Foundation For Investigative Journalism.