The civil servants abducted in Ondo State have been freed.
Bunmi Falodun, a civil servant in the FADAMA office in Akure, and his wife, were released on Wednesday. The victims were set free after their family members paid a ransom of N10million naira.
They had spent four days in captivity before their eventual release.
The government workers were abducted alongside other commuters on Owo/Akoko road last weekend.
On Tuesday, the armed gunmen had threatened to kill the civil servants if their family members refused to pay the ransom within 24 hours.
A relative of the freed victims confirmed that the government workers were set free at exactly 1am on Wednesday.
Speaking via phone, a family member said: “They were released today around 1am and we have taken them to the hospital for treatment. Releasing them to us was not easy as the kidnappers frustrated every of our attempt. They collected the sum of N10million from us.
“It is saddening that the Police only made little effort in ensuring these people were released. I don’t think we have a Police in this state. We had to cry out to Governor Akeredolu when those kidnappers threatened to kill them if we did not raise the money.
“But I thank God that my uncle and his wife have been released. I did a vigil all through the night for their safe release. Now, I am happy.”
Femi Joseph, spokesperson of the Ondo State Police Command, confirmed the release of the civil servants in a phone interview on Wednesday.
Joseph, who avoided more questions on the rate of kidnapping in the state, said the Police didn’t have enough time to discourage families of kidnap victims from paying ransom.
