The police have confirmed the release of the Chairman, board of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar and his daughter, Yasmin.
The Police made the confirmation in a post on Twitter and also claimed the arrest of a suspect, who was in possession of an AK47 Rifle.
Nigeria Police Force✔@PoliceNG
This is to bring to the knowledge of all Nigerians that Dr Mohammed Mahmoud Abubakar, the Chairman of UBEC and his daughter, Yesmin Mohammed who were kidnapped yesterday along Abuja-KADUNA expressway have been released.
Mahmood and his daughter were kidnapped on Monday along Kaduna-Abuja expressway at about 3.30 pm..
An aide of Mahmood, Hussain Danladi, had earlier confirmed the release on Tuesday.
Danladi told some online news platform that no ransom was paid for their release.
But an audio recording published by Daily Trust suggested otherwise.
According to details of the audio—a phone conversation between Abubakar and a relation identified as Saleh, N13million was raised to be paid as ransom.
Abubakar said in the conversation: “Saleh, please be hurry, time is not on our side It would take some time before we decide on the collection point, and we have planned to resolve this issue within one hour.
“Let them go anywhere and get the money within one hour.”
But Saleh responded that they were able to raise N13 million and if the kidnappers demanded the money in Dollars, they would have given the ransom money to them.
Saleh said: “We are on it and we were able to raise N13 million. The challenge we are having now is night and somebody told me if it would reach in the morning, he would give us N50 million and if they demanded the money in dollars, we would give them this night.”
The UBEC Chairman then said that the kidnappers were taking good care of them even though his daughter was wounded on her leg during the operation.
He said, “I understand, but if you can get it (money), then go and get it anywhere. We don’t want it to pass one hour, these people are taking good care of us, Yasmin was wounded on her leg, but they are assisting her. Please go anywhere and get the money.”
The kidnappers, had in a major blow to Police’s Operation Puff Adder, a blocked the Kaduna-Abuja highway on Monday, opened fire on some vehicles and abducted the chairman of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Mohammad Abubakar and his daughter.
Abubakar’s driver was killed. Two other persons were also injured.
The attack, which punctured the claimed successes of Operation Puff Adder, occurred at about 3.30 pm in Kurmin Kare village on Monday.
Spokesman of the Kaduna State Police Command, DSP Yakubu Sabo, confirmed the kidnap and the attack. He said the injured victims were rescued.
“Today April 29, we received information through DPO Katari that at about 1530hrs, he got a distress call that Armed Men in military uniform intercepted a Land Cruiser Jeep with Reg. No 07E o4 FG and Toyota Sienna with Reg. No SLJ 465 TN at Kurmin Kare Village along Kaduna -Abuja Expressway, opened fire on the vehicles and in the process the driver of the jeep was shot dead.
“While the occupants, Dr. Muhammad Abubakar who is the Chairman of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and his daughter were kidnapped.
“The occupants of the Sienna; one Alowonle Olalere and Onuka Victor both of Ibadan, Oyo State were injured and rescued to Katari Police Station.”
Sabo added that the two injured victims were returning from Kano where they went to shoot a film titled ‘The Last Step’.
He disclosed that a combined teams of mobile policemen, anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Command, Special Forces and Operations Yaki operatives were quickly mobilized to the area with a view to combing the bushes for possible rescue of the victims and arresting the criminals.
He added that the Inspector General of Police Intelligent Response Team was also contacted for technical support in tracking the hoodlums.
“At the moment, the two vehicles were recovered to the station,” he added.
“The Commissioner of Police CP Ahmad Abdur-Rahman appeals to members of the public to support the Police with relevant information that could assist in apprehending the perpetrators of this heinous act.
“The Command will not be deterred in its efforts to bring crime to the barest minimum in the state.
“The hoodlums are only testing our collective will and we cannot relent.” NAN
