A six-year old pupil of Hill Crest School in
Calabar, Cross River State, Divine James, on Saturday said he hid himself in
the boot of his mother’s Toyota Sienna bus when kidnappers abducted his
siblings on their way to school last Tuesday.
His siblings –Emmanuel Johnson (10) and Miss
Treasure Eko (four) –who were abducted by four masked armed men around the
Federal Housing area of Calabar, however, regained their freedom on
Friday.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the children
were kidnapped around 7.30am at 7, Esuk Otu Road between NTA and NYSC
Secretariat, Calabar, when their mother, Mrs. Juliet Johnson, was taking them
to school.
The kidnappers, who operated in another vehicle,
blocked the woman’s vehicle, collected her phone and took the two
children.
Speaking with journalists on Saturday in Calabar,
Divine, who was also in the bus, said he sneaked from the back seat to the boot
when the kidnappers were dragging his siblings out of the bus.
Divine said, “We were just driving out of our
street when suddenly some people used their car to block my mother’s car. They
came out pointing a gun at her and asked for her phone. When she handed over
her phone, they then opened the front door and picked my sister.
“When my brother with whom I was seating behind
asked why, they picked him up as well. It was at that point I jumped the rear
seat and hid myself in the boot. I later came out and ran home to inform my
father after they had gone.”
Shortly after abduction, the kidnappers were said
to have demanded N30m from the parents before releasing the children.
Although it was learnt that the parents
eventually paid N1m, the children’s father, Mr. Johnson James, said no ransom
was paid.
He attributed his children’s release to divine
intervention.
However, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr.
Osita Ezechukwu, attributed the children’s release to the pressure and raid of
some areas by the police. He said the children were abandoned at the army
junction, Calabar.
He said immediately the police learnt about the
incident, they swung into action by searching every nook and cranny of Calabar.
Ezechukwu said, “On receipt of the complaint, the
Criminal Investigation Department and other co-opted specialised units, swung
into action and began intensive investigation. Sequel to the vigorous
searching for the kids, the kidnappers were constrained to abandon the children
at Women and Children Hospital, Army Junction, Calabar and escaped.
“I am pleased to inform you that the kids have
been reunited with their parents in good health. Meanwhile, the manhunt for the
perpetrators of the crime has intensified.”
Ezechukwu, who said the police were not at any
time informed that ransom was paid, added that the state remained the most
peaceful in the federation.
One of the children, Emmanuel, said immediately
they were kidnapped, they were blindfolded and taken to an unknown destination.
He also said they were fed by the abductors
and were not tortured.
The Punch
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