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I sold goats and pigs to raise ransom, says abducted ABU student’s father

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A father of one of the abducted students of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) said on Sunday he sold his goats, pigs, and other valuables to raise the ransom paid to the criminals to secure the release of his child.

The man, who spoke with journalists Sunday, revealed the harrowing experience students’ throughout their stay in the kidnappers’ den.

The nine students were abducted along the Kaduna-Abuja highway on their way to Lagos for a programme at the French Village in Badagry a few days ago.

The elated father, who chose to remain anonymous, said some parents paid between N500,000 and N4 million for their children to be released by the hoodlums.

Read also: Abducted ABU students regain freedom

He said: “Some parents paid N1 million, some paid over N1 million, some paid N4 million while some paid over N500,000. The situation depends on how each parent bargained with the kidnappers because they spoke separately with us.

“Some parents were asked to drop their money at a particular place at Abuja junction and leave the place. Somebody will later pick the money, counted it and notified the people in the bush that the money had been paid.

“Four of us went to deliver the money but we didn’t know that we were all victims. After a series of bargaining, they said I should pay N1 million but I told them that I cannot raise that amount.

“I told them I had a little over N500, 000 and they asked me to bring it. I sold my goats, pigs and other belongings to pay the money.

He added that the parents took the ransom to the kidnappers in the forest on Saturday.

“The amount varied from N500, 000 to N4 million to get each of the children released. While some were made to hand their ransom to members of the kidnap syndicate in Kaduna, others were contacted separately,” the man added.

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