Kidnapped Nysc member freed after N1.1m ransom payment

Nysc Member Kidnapped Along Benin-Ore Expressway Freed After Ransom Payment

Rofiat Lawal, a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), has been released after being abducted on the Benin-Ore Expressway on Tuesday. Her family paid a ransom of N1.1 million to secure her freedom.

According to reports, Rofiat was on her way to Ibadan, Oyo State, from Benin, Edo State, to begin her primary assignment when she was kidnapped. Initially, the kidnappers demanded a ransom of N20 million, which her family asserted they could not afford. After extensive negotiations, the ransom was lowered to N5 million.

A friend of Rofiat, identified as Agbakwara, provided an update on the situation, revealing on Saturday that she had been taken home. In a Facebook post that included a video of Lawal, Agbakwara recounted the harrowing experience of the days following the kidnapping. “In the early hours of Friday, the kidnappers intensified their threats, warning us that if we didn’t meet their demands, her return was unlikely,” he wrote.

In a desperate effort to raise the necessary funds, Agbakwara reached out to various individuals and organizations, including Rofiat’s classmates, local Muslim associations, friends from her hometown, and their community supporters. Thanks to the generous contributions of many, the group managed to gather N1.1 million, which was transferred to an account provided by the kidnappers at 4:20 PM on Friday.

The individual who received the payment, identified as Isaac Ayo, claimed a family member of his was also kidnapped and assured the group that the ransom would be delivered in tandem with his own.

After several anxious hours of waiting, Agbakwara shared that around 10 PM, they received the long-awaited news: Rofiat and the others had been released and were taken to a hospital for assessment. “This morning, we received further confirmation that Rofiat was on her way home and that all others had also returned safely to their families,” he reported.

Expressing his gratitude, Agbakwara thanked everyone who contributed financially, shared information about the situation, and tagged the relevant authorities, emphasizing how their collective efforts made her release possible.