Two female students of Girls Secondary School, Uzuakoli in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State claimed to have been kidnapped last Monday in their school have been rescued by farmers in Amangwu Edda in Afikpo South council area of Ebonyi State.
The girls whose names were given as Uzoamaka Orji, a 16-year-old and OkezieIhechirurum who is 13; were in SS3 and SS2 respectively in the said school.
A source who spoke to The New Narrative in confidence said the girls were kidnapped and brought to a bushy farmland in Amangwu from where they demanded a ransom of N300 million from their families.
It was gathered that the farmers popularly called ‘Air Force’ had gone to the farm to harvest palm fruits when they broke into the kidnappers hide out and on sighting the farmers, fled the scene.
“On Monday this week, two girls were kidnapped in Girls Secondary School, Uzuakoli in Bende Local Government Area in Abia State. The kidnappers brought them to Amangwu Edda in Afikpo South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State and hid them in the bush.
“Yesterday, a group of farmers popularly called Air Force who harvest ripe palm fruits went to harvest in that community and saw the two girls who were blindfolded. Their hands and mouths were also tied.
“It turned out that the two girls were the ones kidnapped in Abia State. Their captors, on seeing the group of farmers, abandoned their victims and ran away. The farmers now rescued the girls and took them to the Divisional Police Station in Owutu Edda, Afikpo South Local Government Area.
“Meanwhile, the kidnappers had demanded a ransom of N300 million before they would release their captives. Their father, who is a priest, had agreed to pay the sum of N700,000 but the kidnappers later reduced it to N3 million during the negotiation,” the source told explained.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Ebonyi state Command, ASP LovethOdah, who confirmed the incident said the girls were rescued at about 11:00 hours the previous day at Ebounwana.
She said the victims were rushed to the hospital for medical attention because they were already sick.
The police spokesperson said their men were drafted to the bush on getting the tip off but unfortunately, they could not get any of the kidnappers.
“For now, police from Abia State Command have taken the girls to reunite them with their families” she noted.
