Mistura Olasinde, a female resident of Starwood Estate, Galadimawa in the Federal Capital Territory, and her two kids, Hauwa and Fatima, were kidnapped on Friday, September 8, 2023, in the capital.
The incident occurred at Kabusa Garden Estate while Mistura’s husband, Surajudeen Olasinde, an employee of the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority, was returning home with his family in their Toyota Highlander from Garki to Starwood Estate, which is where they live and is situated between the Galadimawa and Lokokogoma areas of Abuja.
“On their way from Garki, they were abducted last Friday at around 7 o’clock. The kidnappers attacked them as soon as they arrived at Kabusa Garden Estate at the location where the road was really terrible. Before marching them into the woods, they started firing to frighten them away, according to Olasinde.
The Galadimawa Divisional Police Officer, Jerry Cole, was instantly summoned by the locals, who then sent out a team of police officers to search the bushes with vigilante operators. He continued by stating that the search was futile.
Mr. Olasinde, a native of Offa in Kwara State, claimed that he was not present when the incident took place.
“I had been relocated to Kwara State, so I wasn’t in Abuja when it happened. However, I was informed that despite their best efforts, the police and vigilantes scoured the bush until 3 a.m. on Saturday. We also got in touch with Department of State Services officers. The search team located a woodland in Kuje after following the kidnappers’ movements, he said.
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Mr. Olasinde, who arrived in Abuja on Saturday, claimed the people holding his family captive demanded a $100,000,000 ransom from his brother-in-law.
“They want $100,000,000. They eventually reduced it to 50 million, then to 10 million. But at the conclusion of the day, they questioned us about our personal belongings.
The kidnappers even said they could make more money off the body parts of my wife and my two girls than we claimed we had if they killed them. He described how they eventually turned to begging and pleading with them not to hurt or kill his family.
He added that when the kidnappers enquired about the Toyota Highlander that had been assaulted after they told them that they didn’t have much money, he told them that it was one of the items that had been sold to earn money for the ransom they intended to pay the kidnappers.
Olasinde added that the kidnappers told them to bring the ransom Saturday night and that they were able to raise exactly N2.840 million.
“They told us to bring the money on Saturday night at 8:00. They instructed us to travel to Kabusa Village and take any available Okada rider (commercial motorcycle) to an unknown location.
“To deliver the ransom, my brother-in-law and I ascended the same bike. They emerged and collected the ransom when we reached the dense forest where they were hiding. We handed them N840,000 and N2 million.
My wife and daughters arrived at the spot where we waited for them after about 40 minutes. So, Olasinde confessed, “We begged the Okada rider to take my wife and daughters home and to come back and get us too.
He requested help from President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, saying that in addition to the physical harm his wife and daughters have suffered, they are also experiencing psychological trauma and have been transported to a hospital for treatment.
Speaking as well, Kayode Adedoyin, the Chairman of Residents of Starwood Estate, listed a number of kidnapping cases that had occurred nearby and urged Minister Wine to use all of his influence to improve the residents’ quality of life.
The Galadimawa DPO, Mr. Cole, advised our correspondent to contact SP Josephine Adeh, the FCT Police Command spokesman, when approached, pointing out that he was not authorised to talk with the media.
When reached, SP Adeh acknowledged that the FCT Police Command had not yet been informed of the development but pledged to provide an update as soon as she had.
