Police, Family members disagree over release of  kidnapped ABU students.

 Noah Ebije,  Kaduna.

There was apparent disagreement between the police and family members over the release of the three students of Ahmadu Bello University abducted by kidnappers along the Kaduna Abuja highway on Tuesday.

While the police claimed in a statement that the abducted students were released due to intensive pressure by police operatives, family members of the abducted students said they paid ransom to secure the release of their loved ones.

However, unconfirmed family source of the three students, some of whose parents are based in Minna, Niger State and Abuja respectively said over N5 million was jointly contributed and paid as ransom.

Meanwhile, the police’s claim attracted the attention of an aide of the president, Bashir Ahmed who took to Twitter to announce that “The Kaduna State police command has rescued three students of Ahmadu Bello University, ABU Zaria abducted on Monday along Abuja-Kaduna Highway”.

But in a reply to this tweet, one Sadiq Ango, probably a family member of one of the kidnapped victims, dismissed the claim, saying it took the family members 48 hours to negotiate the release of the abducted students.

“Lies” he said in reply to the tweet. “It took us 48 long hours of  negotiations with the kidnappers to secure the release of our sister to us, NOT the police. Ransom was paid in full as negotiated with the three families involved” he added.

Earlier in a statement signed by Yakubu Sabo, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Kaduna State police command said “the Command wishes to state that, on the said date – 26th August 2019 at about 1850hrs, Armed Men in Military Uniform intercepted some commuters near Masari Village along Kaduna Abuja Expressway; opened fire on the vehicles, in the process kidnaped six persons. However, due to the prompt response of the Police and other security agents to the scene, three people were later released by the hoodlums due to intensive combing within the general area”.

He said the story being peddled in the social media about the kidnap was a “gross exaggeration”.

“The story being circulated by social media is a gross exaggeration and misrepresentation of fact aimed at causing more fear in the minds of the public” he said.