A National Youth Service Corps member, Rofiat Lawal, who was abducted along the Benin-Ore Expressway on Tuesday, has regained her freedom after her family paid a ransom of N1.1 million.
According to The PUNCH, Lawal, who was traveling from Benin, Edo State, to Ibadan, Oyo State, for her place of primary assignment, was kidnapped by unknown gunmen who initially demanded a ransom of N20 million.
After intense negotiations, the kidnappers reportedly reduced the ransom to N5 million. However, Lawal’s family and friends were only able to gather N1.1 million, which was eventually accepted by the abductors.
A close friend of Lawal, identified as Agbakwara, confirmed her release in a Facebook post on Saturday, expressing gratitude to those who contributed to securing her freedom.
“In the early hours of Friday, the kidnappers pressured us, warning that if we failed to meet their demands, we should not expect her return,” Agbakwara wrote.
He further revealed that funds were raised through contributions from her colleagues, friends, and members of her religious community. The amount was transferred to an account provided by the kidnappers on Friday.
“The recipient, Isaac Ayo, claimed that his sister had also been kidnapped and assured us he would deliver the ransom alongside his own,” he added.
After several hours of waiting, Lawal and other abducted victims were eventually released late Friday night and taken to a hospital for medical attention.
“At around 10 pm, we received the long-awaited call: they had been released and taken to the hospital,” Agbakwara stated. “This morning, we got another call confirming that Rofiat was on her way home, and the others had also safely returned to their families.”
Expressing gratitude to everyone who supported the effort, Agbakwara said, “I want to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who contributed, shared the news, and tagged the necessary authorities. Your support made this possible.”
