The gunmen that seized Kingsley Okoroafor, an official of the Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC on Saturday, July 16 has let him off the hook after collecting about N5 million as ransom.
Our correspondent gathered that the family was able to mobilize the ransom from relatives, friends and associates, which they dropped at the Abia Tower in Umuahia, Abia State capital for the kidnappers.
A reliable source told our correspondent that the kidnappers had contacted the family after about three hours of seizing Okorafor, an engineer who is said to be a deputy director at the intervention agency.
The source said; “Yes, he had been released. He was released this morning, Sunday, July 17. The release was announced in our WhatsApp platform.
“When I heard the kidnappers placed a call using his phone to the family, after about three hours of his kidnap, I concluded the kidnap was locally orchestrated and they needed small money. I also concluded he was being held within the area.
“High profile kidnappers will wait till Monday to call you knowing that you will have to go to bank around Tuesday since Mondays are sit-at-home in this part to raise the kind of money that they will need”.
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Recall that the NDDC official’s kidnappers had initially demanded N10million before settling for half the amount.
Police authorities in the state are yet to make any statement concerning the kidnap and eventual release of the NDDC official.
He was intercepted close to his country home at Umudara Umulogho Autonomous Community in Obowo Local Government Area of the state while returning from a funeral wake keep organized for the deceased traditional ruler of Ndiuhu Autonomous Community in same Obowo Local Government Area, Eze Innocent Anyanwu.
