Abductors Demand ₦50 Million To Release Remaining Victim

The abductors of eight fresh graduates from Akwa Ibom State, who were kidnapped in Zamfara State in August 2023, are demanding ₦50 million to release the last remaining victim, Bassey Daniel.

Mrs. Margaret Daniel, the mother of Bassey, disclosed this information during an interview with Vanguard at her community in Afaha Ube Itam, Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

Mrs. Margaret, visibly distressed, expressed her anguish over the hefty ransom demand. “I have nobody that could raise such a huge amount of money,” she lamented.

She lamented, “I am just a petty trader, I sell akara and bread. How will I raise that kind of money? I am helpless and in fact, when that amount of money was mentioned, I fell sick. And I have been asking God why my only son?

“They were nine people that were kidnapped that day in Zamfara State, the other eight have regained their freedom, remaining my son. They are demanding N50 million. I don’t have that kind of money. His father died a long time ago when he (Bassey) was just three years old.

“I struggled alone to raise him and sent him to school. I used the small money from the akara business to send my boy to school, from primary school, secondary and Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic.

“I have been asking God why this happened to me. I have suffered so much. And I am appealing to Akwa Ibom State governor, Pastor Umo Eno; the NYSC officials and security agencies to help bring my only son back to me.”

Another family member, Mr Imoh, said: “We appreciate the security agencies and NYSC management for the effort they have made to ensure those children were released. And today, we are still begging them to help this our son, Bassey Daniel.

“We are worried. And any time the mother see corps members on their uniform, I tell you she feels terribly sad. So, we are begging them to help us.”

It will be recalled that a female and the last but one of the victims of the Zamfara State kidnap incident regained her freedom on June 12, 2024.