Contrary to earlier reports that three pastors in Kogi State were freed after a gun duel with kidnappers, it has emerged that their freedom came after they paid one million Naira ransom to the men of the underworld.
A source in the know, who pleaded anonymity, said money exchanged hands before the men were let go at about 2.30 a.m. the next day.
“Perhaps there was a shootout when the 13 other victims in an unrelated incident were freed, but not in the case of the three pastors, who were abducted in an apparent case of mistaken identity.
“After the night crusade, they were on their way to their lodge for the night when they were abducted by men on motorbikes who took the car they were travelling in and dumped elsewhere. It is believed they were after the owner of the car who opted to trek to his home in Ejule for the clerics to be dropped off. The owner of the car they were driving in is a local merchant who owns a filling station in Anyigba and had been previously abducted and freed after paying a ransom. His wife and sister-in-law had also suffered the same fate in the past.
“The suspicion is that they thought he was in his car when they struck. Fortunately for him, he wasn’t. The abductors demanded ransom for the pastors and let them go after they paid up. No single gunshot was fired in their own casè”
Recall that the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported earlier on Thursday that Kogi security operatives on Wednesday rescued three pastors and 13 other victims who had been kidnapped by hoodlums in the Ofu Local Government Area of the state.
NAN reported that the 16 victims, including the three pastors, were abducted after a crusade in Ejule, Ofu LGA.
They regained their freedom following the intervention of a combined team of security personnel in the state.
The pastors, who were guest ministers at the crusade, were on their way to their guest house after the second day of the three-day event.
They were ambushed by hoodlums around 11 p.m. on Monday, January 20, on a street off the Ejule-Anyigba road.
Upon being alerted, the Nigerian Army quickly mobilised other security operatives, launching a thorough search that lasted two nights before locating the kidnappers in a forest.
After a two-hour gunfight, the kidnappers fled with varying degrees of injury, leaving behind the victims.
Kogi’s Deputy Governor, Joel Salifu, on Wednesday lauded the bravery of the Nigerian Army and other security agencies involved in the rescue.
In a statement issued by his Press Secretary, Emmanuel Unubi, Salifu expressed his relief that the victims were safely freed and commended the security personnel for their efforts.
He also emphasised that under Gov. Ahmed Ododo, Kogi would not be a safe haven for criminals, noting the state’s commitment to maintaining security and protecting lives and property.
