Taye Ajoke, a National Diploma student at the Isa Mustapha Agwai Polytechnic in Lafia, Nasarawa State, who was kidnapped on Monday, has been released by her abductors after a ransom of N300,000 was paid.
Ajoke’s ordeal began when heavily armed men, firing sporadically, attacked her residence in Ombi 1, located two kilometers away from the polytechnic, and forcibly took her to an unknown location.
News About Nigeria gathered that the incident resulted in two other students and an admission seeker sustaining gunshot wounds.
Speaking with Punch on Thursday, Ekom Ayaka, the President of the Students Union Government at the polytechnic, disclosed that Ajoke’s kidnappers initially demanded a ransom of N50 million but later reduced it to N500,000 after realising that her family and well-wishers could not meet the original demand.
After further appeals and negotiations, the kidnappers agreed to release her upon payment of N300,000.
Ayaka expressed gratitude that Ajoke had been released and emphasised the importance of security measures to protect students and residents in the area from such incidents in the future.
“We are grateful to God that Ajoke has been released by the bandits. She was released around 7 p.m. on Wednesday after a ransom of N300,000 was paid.
“The kidnappers first wanted N50 million but they later reduced the money to N500,000 when they understood that her family and friends would not be able to get such an amount.
“But after much appeal to them (kidnappers), they told her family to pay the sum of N300,000 that was in their possession. That was how she was released from captivity.”
