A combined team of security operatives including the Police, Army and Air-force, have secured the release of the abducted 24-year-old law student in Calabar, Cross Rivers state.
Confirming the development to newsmen on Monday in Calabar, Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, SP Irene Ugbo disclosed that two out of the five suspects were neutralised while the victim was rescued.
She said the girl, Deborah Effiom, who was abducted at her residence, 17 Joseph Mkpang street, Calabar municipality on August 31, at 17 Calabar Municipality Local government area was rescued following a series of intelligence gathering.
She disclosed that two of the five suspected kidnappers were killed during the rescue operation.
Ugbo further said that N5.5 million that was paid as ransom to secure her freedom was also recovered from the abductors who used a POS operator as their receiver.
Her words: “After they picked up the girl they took her to an unknown destination not knowing we were on their trail.
“They demanded money for their victims feeding and N50,000 was paid through a POS operator who is now in our custody.
“They further made a demand of N5 million ransom which was also paid to the POS operator who is their receiver, but they never knew that security operatives were on their trail all along.
“While two of the kidnappers were killed in the process to secure the girl’s release, three others escaped with bullet wounds,” she said.
Recall that the kidnappers had stormed the student’s house where she resides with her parents and beat up her father while she was whisked away in her mother’s car, a grey Toyota Corolla, 2010 model.
It was also learned that apart from the 5 million naira, the getaway car was also recovered.