Abducted UBEC chairman, daughter freed
The chairman of the Universal Basic Education Commission, Dr Mohammed Mahmud Abubakar and his daughter, Jamila, abducted on the Kaduna-Abuja Road on Monday, were released yesterday.
Our correspondents, who visited Abubakar’s residence at Shehu Crescent, Ungwan Rimi, Kaduna, saw him and his daughter.
Hundreds of people thronged the residence to show concern.
Abubakar and his daughter were released Tuesday afternoon and reunited with family members.
The UBEC chairman, who looked weak, was later taken to a hospital, but he declined comments about his experience in the hands of the captors.
The Kaduna State Police Command said UBEC chairman and his daughter were released unhurt following a pressurized patrol and combing of the area by the police operatives deployed to rescue the two.
It said one person had been arrested in connection with the kidnap of the UBEC chairman.
The three victims kidnapped at Kajuru Castle recently during the incident that claimed the lives of Ms Mooney and one other have also been released, the police command also said.
It stated: “The release came at the time when the Inspector General of Police IGP Mohammed Adamu Abubakar was attending a Zonal Meeting of Northern Traditional Ruler’s Council in Kaduna.
“Thus, the IGP used the opportunity to visit the family and sympathize with them on the unfortunate incident. The IGP assured the family of Police commitment to unmask the perpetrators of this dastardly act.
“IGP Mohammed Adamu Abubakar informed the general public that already one suspect has been arrested by the Police in connection with the incident and one AK47 Rifle with 29 rounds of live ammunition was recovered in his possession. The suspect named Audu Ahmadu is undergoing interrogation in Police custody. Efforts are on course to apprehend the remaining fleeing suspects.
Meanwhile, Abubakar’s family was said to have raised N13 million as ransom. This was revealed in an alleged audio recording of a phone conversation Monday night between him and his relation, Saleh.
In the audio recording obtained by Daily Trust, Abubakar was heard saying “Saleh, please, be in a hurry, time is not on our side It would take some time before we decide on the collection point, and we have planned to resolve this issue within one hour. Let them go anywhere and get the money within one hour.”
But Saleh responded thus: “We are on it and we were able to raise N13 million. The challenge we are having now is night and somebody told me if it would reach the morning, he would give us N50m and if they demand the money in dollars, we would give them this night.”
Abubakar was also heard saying: “I understand, but if you can get it (money), then go and get it anywhere. We don’t want it to pass one hour, these people are taking good care of us, Yasmin was wounded on her leg, but they are assisting her. Please, go anywhere and get the money.”
But the spokesman of the Police Force, Frank Mba, said he did not know if any ransom was paid to the kidnappers.
He clarified that only Abubakar and his daughter were kidnapped during the attack on Monday and not several other people a reported in the media.
Mba also said investigation into the incident was ongoing.
Daily Trust reports that commuters yesterday avoided the Kaduna-Abuja Highway following the Monday’s incident.
One of our correspondents, who travelled some kilometres on the road, observed that very few cars plied it Tuesday.