"They said their bosses in Abuja take the money and they only get something small' -APC Chieftain reveals he paid N20m to kidnappers for his release
Former senator and chieftain of the All Progressives
Congress, APC, Ayo Arise, last Sunday revealed how he was set free by
kidnappers after parting with N20 million ransom.
Arise was kidnapped along Lokoja –Abuja road last December
while returning to the Federal Capital Territory after visiting Ekiti
State. He was held by his captors for six days.
Speaking at the SS, Peter and Paul Catholic Pro Cathedral,
Oye Ekiti, at a thanksgiving service on his release, he said he had a
good reason to thank God for surviving the kidnap as not all persons
kidnapped come out alive.
“After my experience, someone was kidnapped and was still
killed even after paying N25million twice, as ransom. So, how do you
describe that?” he said.
He recalled his ordeal at the hands of the kidnappers,
noting that he was with the kidnappers from Sunday, December 3 to
Friday, December 8, 2017.
“I can assure you that it’s not an experience that you’ll
want to have. There’s nothing more frightening than for you to know that
you don’t even know what would happen to you,” he said.
He said he advised them to consider taking up up other
businesses and live a better life after collecting millions, but the
kidnappers replied that it was their “bosses in Abuja that actually take
the money and that they only get something small.”
“So I have doubts in my mind that even if jobs are provided
for those ones, would that be as lucrative as kidnapping one person or
two people and collecting N20 million. That’s the fear, it’s like they
have tasted blood and it has become very, very dangerous,” lamented Mr.
Arise.
Mr. Arise expressed profound gratitude to his people for showing concern during his ordeal.
“Between Oye and Ilupeju, they contributed N4
million within 24 hours. So that is one of the things that touched me to
the marrow. My friends rallied round; the people of the town are
showing appreciation for having a son that believes in them,” he said.
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