A female student of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State Francisca Chioma, who was abducted, has been released after six days.
The university’s chief security officer (CSO) Ken Chukwurah told PUNCH on Thursday that she was released on Wednesday after an undisclosed amount was paid as ransom.
Ms Chioma, a student of Science Education Department, was taken captive after she left Awka on April 5 to attend a friend’s father’s burial in a community in Anambra State.
It was gathered that the kidnappers initially asked for N10m ransom for Chioma’s release. However, negotiations with the kidnappers ensured it was pegged at N2 million and deadline for payment set at Tuesday, April 9.
The family’s inability to raise the money forced the victim’s schoolmates and friends to make an open call for public support.
UNIZIK students call for donations to pay N2m ransom for kidnapped colleague Francisca Chioma
Chukwurah added that during debriefing Chioma said the kidnappers’ target was a scholar who was to attend same burial ceremony that she and her friend were headed for.
The UNIZIK CSO noted that Chioma said the kidnappers made them trek long distances in the bush and took them to Nsukka in Enugu State.
“From the interactions with her, she said the family members and friends raised some amount of money, and eventually, the money was paid to the kidnappers, but we do not have the actual amount that was paid,” he said.
Anambra police spokesman Tochukwu Ikenga said that witnesses or the victim’s relatives should come to the police to assist with investigation.
