The Ogun State Police Command on Thursday reportedly arrested a female undergraduate of a university in Lagos state in connection with the abduction of her friend, one Anochie Justina, a fresh graduate of the Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State.
Justina, 27, who completed her nursing course in May, was abducted on Sunday at about 9pm allegely by some of her friends, who wanted to make money from her family, the Punch is reporting.
The victim had returned to her off-campus residence at the Ilishan area of the state on the said day before the incident.
After they whisked her away to an unknown destination, Justina’s abductors were said to have contacted the family, demanding the payment of N10m as ransom which was later reduced to N5m after negotiations.
The victim’s sister, Mrs. Judith Nze, said efforts to persuade the suspects to take N300, 000 had been futile, adding that the kidnappers were threatening to kill their victim if the family did not withdraw the case from the police.
Ms. Nze said, “She has finished her programme in the school and was just waiting for some clearance. I learnt that the place she stays is isolated. She was taken on Sunday and since then we have all lost our peace. I have stopped going to the office because I can’t concentrate.
“Initially, we thought it was a joke until the kidnappers contacted us and demanded N10m as ransom. They later reduced it to N5m. They have refused the N300, 000 we offered them, insisting that they would kill her if we don’t pay the money.
“They also said we must withdraw the case from the police as a condition for her release but we reported at the Ikenne Police Division and the case was later transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS.
““My mother spoke with her this morning (Thursday) and she did not sound good. We are afraid they might harm her. We are just appealing to them to release her,” the victim’s sister added.
Confirming the kidnap and arrest, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Muyiwa Adejobi, said the suspect linked with the abduction was assisting with investigations.
The PPRO said investigations had shown that the victim was kidnapped based on information from an insider. It was an organised crime. Based on preliminary investigations, it appeared that her friends conspired against her. It was a set-up.
He said, “The incident happened on Sunday. Immediately we learnt of the abduction, we started investigations. We have already arrested a suspect and investigations are ongoing.”
Adejobi said it is believed the kidnappers think that her parents are wealthy and they could make money from them.
Speaking on the incident, the spokesperson for Babcock University, Mr. Joshua Suleiman, said the victim was no longer a student of the school.
He said, “She graduated from the school in June. She is no more our student. We got the information just like you did that she was abducted. We don’t know beyond that.”