A member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Rofiat Lawal, who was abducted along the Benin-Ore Expressway on Tuesday, has been released after her family paid a ransom of N1.1 million.
Rofiat was travelling from Benin, Edo State, to Ibadan, Oyo State, to resume at her place of primary assignment when she was kidnapped.
Her abductors initially demanded a ransom of N20 million, but her family pleaded for a reduction, stating they could not afford the amount.
After prolonged negotiations, the kidnappers lowered their demand to N5 million.
Providing an update on the situation, Lawal’s friend, identified as Agbakwara, confirmed on Saturday that she had regained her freedom.
In a Facebook post accompanied by a video of Lawal, Agbakwara revealed that the kidnappers had issued an ultimatum, warning that failure to pay the ransom would mean she would not be released.
“In a desperate bid to secure her release, I reached out to her schoolmates, the Muslim community, friends from her hometown, my social media followers, and her family,” Agbakwara wrote.
Through collective efforts, they managed to raise N1.1 million, which was transferred at 4:20 pm on Friday to an account provided by the kidnappers.
The recipient, identified as Isaac Ayo, claimed his sister had also been kidnapped and assured them he would deliver the money along with his ransom payment.
After anxious hours of waiting, the victims were finally released on Friday night.
“At about 10 pm, we received a call confirming their release and that they had been taken to the hospital.
“The next morning, we got another call informing us that Rofiat was on her way home, and the other captives had also reunited with their families,” Agbakwara stated.
Expressing gratitude, he thanked everyone who contributed, shared the news, and called on relevant authorities, saying their collective support made the rescue possible.
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