By Ayeotan Shola
Former SGF, chief Olu Falae who was the victim in a recent kidnapping has discredited rumours that no ransom was paid to the kidnappers fir his release.
Contrary to claims by the Nigerian Police that no ransom was paid to his abductors, Mr Falae has confessed that a ransom was actually paid before he was set free.
Though he did not say how much was paid to the kidnappers, who had initially demanded a ransom of N100 million, Vanguard is reporting that a dependable source disclosed that N5 million was eventually paid for his release.
Speaking to Journalists in Akure on Monday, Falae said his abductors threatened to kill him if the ransom was not paid.
“There were six of them with three or four guns and every half an hour or so, they will say, ‘Baba we are going to kill you if you don’t give us money. We are going to kill you.’
“On Wednesday, one of them came and said, ‘look we are going to leave here on Thursday morning. Since we cannot leave you here alone, if we don’t get what we want, we are going to kill you.’ And they said they gave me until 3pm and if at 3pm they don’t get the money that they would execute me. I thank God that at 21 minutes to 3pm, one of them came and said, ‘the money don complete.”
“The confirmation of the payment of ransom was made on Wednesday afternoon, I was not allowed to go until Thursday morning.
“So the following morning, they said I should go. One of them took ropes to stitch my buba which was already in tatters, so that it could at least stay on me and I wouldn’t look like a lunatic while leaving that place.
“So when I came out of the bush, I was able to find an okada rider, who gave me a lift to Owo.
“The place was about 10km from Owo town. The place was between Owo and Ifon. And I walked most of the distance between my farm to that place, that is about 25km that we had to trek.
Source: Vanguard
