How we paid ransom to rescue ABU students, by parents
Parents of nine abducted students of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria have explained how they took ransom to the kidnappers in the forest in the late hours of Saturday.
Two of the parents told journalists in a telephone interview they paid amount varying from N500, 000 to N4million to get each of the children released.
According to them, while some were made to hand their ransom to members of the kidnap syndicate in Kaduna, the rest who were contacted separately, were united by the kidnappers through phone calls at Abuja junction.
They said they were made to convey the ransom to the kidnappers’ enclave in the bush along the Kaduna-Abuja highway.
They said the kidnappers also them to bring Maltina and milk alongside the ransom.
According to one of those who went to deliver the ransom to the bandits, they were directed to come to Abuja junction.
“They called me yesterday (Saturday), and said if I am not able to pay N1 million, they will kill the girls or marry them or use them as sex slaves.
“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.
“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 is also a victim’s parent; his daughter is among those abducted.
“We drove along the Kaduna – Abuja road around 11pm to deliver the ransom and other things they demanded for”.
According to him, the bandits also demanded for a specified number of crates of Maltina drink and cartons of milk from each parent.
“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 all of us were carrying nylon bags and the items and they asked what were 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.”
Another parent said: “Some parents paid N1million, some paid over N1million, some paid N2milion, some paid over N500,000, depending on how each parent bargain 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 somebody picks the money, count it and notify the people in the bush that the money has been paid.
“Four of us went to deliver the money but we didn’t know that we were all victims,” he said.
He added: “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.
“I sold my goats, pigs and other belongings to pay the money.”
