Abuja Kidnap Victim Debunks FCT Police’s Rescue Claim, Says ‘Security Agents Didn’t Rescue Us, We Paid N2.5Million Ransom’
The FCT Police Command had stated that operatives, in collaboration with the military, successfully rescued a kidnapped naval officer and two civilians abducted by armed criminals in Mpape, Abuja.
One of the victims kidnapped on Friday, March 21, in Mpape, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, has denied the FCT Police Command’s claim that security agencies rescued them.
“We were not rescued by the police or any security agency; I didn’t see any security agency at all,” the victim said in an interview.
“I warned my friend who brought the ransom not to gamble and not to call anyone. But it was later that they were telling me that they were tracking me.”
The FCT Police Command had stated that operatives, in collaboration with the military, successfully rescued a kidnapped naval officer and two civilians abducted by armed criminals in Mpape, Abuja.
According to the Command’s spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, the rescue operation was conducted across several areas, and four suspects were arrested.
However, the victim, who spoke exclusively to SaharaReporters on condition of anonymity for security reasons, refuted this account, stating that he and three others, including the naval officer, were freed only after a ransom of ₦2.5 million was paid.
Speaking with SaharaReporters on Monday, he revealed that their abductors were six in number, with four of them heavily armed with AK-47 rifles equipped with double magazines.
“I think those guys got the information too – those guys are not just anyhow persons, they know how to filter these things,” he said.
“I think they knew they were tracking my phone because the woman’s (naval officer) phone was smashed. It was just one of the other lines that they were using to contact the victims’ relatives.”
He mentioned that the kidnappers initially demanded ₦100 million each but later lowered the amount to ₦1.5 million, which one of the victims paid. Another victim contributed N1 million, bringing the total ransom to N2.5 million, which was collected for all of them.
He added that aside from a phone call, he has not had any contact with any police officer or security agent since their release.
“The kidnappers told us that they would take us to Jere, that there would be no food there, and that they would be giving me garri and sachet water only. They said we should call people to bring big money – N100 million each,” he said. “But it was only God’s intervention that made them come down to the level of N1.5 million.”
The victim’s account raises questions about the accuracy of the FCT Police Command’s statement on the rescue operation. The Command’s spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, claimed that the rescue operation was conducted across several areas, and four suspects were arrested.
The victim’s account suggests that the police may have intentionally misled the public to portray themselves as the heroes behind the rescue.
In a country where kidnapping has become a lucrative business, the payment of ransom risks fueling further violence and reinforcing a culture of impunity.
While the FCT Police Command’s claim of a successful rescue operation may have been aimed at reassuring the public, the victim’s testimony raises doubts about the accuracy of this narrative.
