Abductors of Lagos trader demand ransom in dollars

• Release victim but vow to come back for balance

An abducted Lagos-based Igbo businessman, Timothy Uche, has regained freedom some days after his family was made pay ransom in dollars.

Uche, who deals in different kinds of electronics, was kidnapped in the Ejigbo area of Lagos State last Friday.

His abductors, a gang of four kidnappers, had waylaid him in the Iyana-Ejigbo area and fired several shots at his car. He waa dragged out of the vehicle and whisked away to an unknown destination.

The gunshots made everyone around the area, including tricycle riders, to scamper for safety.

It was gathered that as soon as he was taken away, his telephone lines were immediately switched off.

He could neither be reached through his lines nor did the kidnappers call any member of his family for over 48 hours.

It was learnt that after the incident was reported at the Ejigbo police station, the DPO deployed a tracking system which indicated that Uche had been taken away through Liasu and LASU roads.

His abductors later called Uche’s wife on Sunday and demanded N70 million naira ransom for the release of his husband.

Eventually, after a lot of plea, the kidnappers agreed to take N5 million.

While the family and friends of Uche were gathering the money, the captors placed a clause that the N5 million value must be converted to United States Dollars.

The family members started running around to raise the money and convert it to dollars.

News broke on Tuesday morning that Uche was released.

Uche narrated his ordeal to Credible News correspondent who visited him.

”I was kidnapped on Friday, March 10, 2023, around 9:30pm, when I closed from my shop situated on Ifoshi Road, close to Iyana Ejigbo, Lagos.

”On that fateful day, three armed men and a ‘pregnant woman’ shot sporadically at my car when I entered it to make a U-turn to pick up my children, who were still in the store waiting for me. The next thing I saw was people and tricycle riders running for safety. I was left alone at this point.

”They shot at the front, back, and sides of my car to ensure that I cannot escape. They even fired a bullet at my seat, which burned the upholstery of the seat but didn’t touch me. But to my greatest surprise, none of these bullets touched. At that point, the abductors whisked me away to an unknown destination.

”They drove through Egbe, Idimu, and Liasu roads to an apartment in the Ayobo area of Lagos State, where I was kept for three days. While I was struggling with them in their vehicle, they used knives on me and the gun which could not penetrate. ”There were bruises on me but the knives could not penetrate. I had bruises, but my clothes did not tear. One of them even cut through my signet but the knife could not enter me. If not God, who could have done it for me?

“For the three days, I spent in their custody, I was fed and medically treated.

“This is the third time these kidnappers have come for me. The last one was two months ago. While I was in the kidnappers’ den, one of them said they had been monitoring me since Monday of the same week.

“On Sunday, one of the kidnappers used my phone to call my wife, demanding N70 million in ransom. When they discovered that she could not raise the money, they agreed to N15 million, and when they observed that the money was not available, they requested N5 million, stressing that they would come for the balance later.”

Asked if those that kidnapped him were Igbo or Yoruba. Uche said they spoke in English each time they were together. “I also heard two or three of them communicating in the Igbo language at other times. I later found out that one of the kidnappers who dressed like a pregnant female is actually a male.

“But, before I was released, one of the kidnappers tapped at me where I was praying and said: ”It is okay, your prayers have been answered. Let us do what we want to do and leave here. But you must promise to give us the balance.’ They told me that they will still come back for me.’

“When the ransom was paid, I was blindfolded by my abductors, who dropped me somewhere at Ayobo on Tuesday, where my family members came to pick me up. My phone is presently with the kidnappers.”