Benue: 6 kidnapping victims regain freedom

From Rose Ejembi, Makurdi

Two National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Members and four other people who were abducted in Zamfara State penultimate Tuesday have regained their freedom after five days in the kidnappers’ den, the Special Adviser to Governor Samuel Ortom on Security, Col Paul Hemba (retd) has said.

Hemba disclosed the news to reporters by telephone on Wednesday, saying the victims were released at about 6 pm on Tuesday.

‘Yes, they have been released and they are on their way back to Benue,’ he told newsmen.

Bandits intercepted a Sokoto bound Benue Links bus last week Tuesday and abducted some of the passengers, among whom were two Corps Members posted to Kebbi State and four other persons.

Our correspondent gathered that the abducted victims include Joseph Zaaka Aondona, Sedoo Tsokar, Jennifer Awashima Iorliam and Sechivir, Muhammadu Saminu and Muhammadu Safiam.

Two of the victims, Jennifer Iorliam and Joseph Zakaa, were said to be on their way to the NYSC orientation in Kebbi State, while another victim, Sedoo Tsokar, a student of Uthman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto was returning to school.

Others are Serchivir, a young girl who was visiting her relatives in Sokoto, as well as two brothers, Saminu and Safiam Muhammadu.

When our correspondent spoke with Juliet Iorliam, the elder sister to one of the victims, she said they were released from captivity on Tuesday evening, but would not disclose if a ransom was paid to secure their release as earlier bargained.

Asked if her sister, Jennifer, would proceed to the NYSC orientation camp for her mandatory one year service, Juliet emphatically said: ‘No, my sister is coming back home.’

Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom had on Tuesday disclosed that his administration was working in collaboration with security agencies to ensure the release of the kidnapped victims.