The elder brother of Bauchi State Governor, Alhaji Adamu Mohammed Duguri, has said that his abductors collected N50 million ransom to release him.
Duguri, a 65-year-old retired Customs Officer, disclosed this on Wednesday, stating that they had initially demanded N350 million.
The governor’s brother was abducted on March 26 at the Unguwar Jaki area of Bauchi metropolis by four men armed with AK-47 rifles.
However, he was released on April 7, after 13 days in the kidnappers’ den.
He debunked claims that security agents freed him from his abductors, stressing that his family members paid the ransom that led to his release.
However, he disclosed that the Bauchi State Government under his brother, Sen. Bala Mohammed, did not provide money for his release.
Duguri, who holds the traditional title of Wakilin Bauchi, stated this in an interview with The Nation.
He disclosed that his abductors were educated and well-coordinated and so could not be traced by security agents.
”My abductors were educated with western education, not only religious. They refused to talk to avoid being traced. They said the moment you talk to somebody now, they can easily be trailed. They knew what they were doing. They had to take my voice, they would later take it to Jos, relay it to somebody in Kaduna. That person then send it to Kano before calling my family. That was what they did.
”To avoid being tracked, they went to Gombe, not Jos this time because of the anti-tracking device. To get the anti-tracking on took time because l wouldn’t have stayed there long. They were even complaining that l stayed too long with them and that they were afraid,” he stated.
Duguri added, “On the issue of ransom, they said they would come down to N100 million but I insisted that nobody will give them that amount of money. They however suggested that if they release me, they can collect the remaining amount later but I asked them how will they collect the money and I told them it won’t work because if you come to my house l will shout.
” So we gave them the ransom but it was not up to N100 million; it was about N50 million.”
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