The seven persons abducted at Nrobo, Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State on Wednesday evening regained their freedom on Friday after the suspected kidnappers collected N500,000 from the affected families.
The suspected kidnappers who are still at large initially demanded N30,000,000 ransom but later settled for N500,000.
Newsmen gathered that the taxi conveying the abductees was coming from Nsukka to Abbi through Nrobo community when the occupants were waylaid at a bushy bypass by gunmen, forcing them down from the vehicle before they were taken away.
A member of the affected family who pleaded for anonymity told newsmen that a woman who was one of the abductees is currently receiving medical treatment at an undisclosed hospital in Enugu.
While reacting to the incident, a traditional ruler from Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area who also pleaded for anonymity suspected that some locals are collaborating with criminal elements from outside to abduct the people for ransom.
Although he said that the local government chairman, Chukwudi Nnadozie, is doing his best to secure the council area, he called for more collaborative efforts between the Neighbourhood Watch groups and other security agents to nip criminal activities in the council area in the bud.
It was gathered that the road where this incident happened has become the flashpoint for robbery, kidnapping, and other criminal activities in recent times. A few months ago, three persons were also allegedly abducted along the same road. They were said to have been released after an undisclosed amount was paid as ransom.
A source also revealed that in May 2022, a husband and wife coming back from the farm were also allegedly abducted by gunmen. Though the husband escaped, newsmen learnt that a huge sum of money was paid before the wife could be released. This was coming two weeks after a teenage girl coming back from Nrobo to Nsukka was equally allegedly raped to death at the same axis.