A National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Rofiat Lawal, who was abducted along the Benin-Ore Expressway on Tuesday, has finally regained her freedom after her family managed to raise N1.1 million as ransom.
Lawal was kidnapped while traveling from Benin, Edo State, to Ibadan, Oyo State, where she was expected to resume her primary assignment under the NYSC scheme.
Her abductors initially demanded N20 million for her release, a sum her family could not afford. Following intense negotiations, the kidnappers reduced their demand to N5 million. However, after desperate appeals, they eventually accepted N1.1 million.
A friend of the victim, Agbakwara, who was closely involved in efforts to secure her release, confirmed the development in a Facebook post on Saturday.
“In the early hours of Friday, the kidnappers threatened us, warning that if we failed to meet their demands, we should not expect her return,” Agbakwara wrote.
He further revealed that several individuals and organizations—including Lawal’s colleagues, friends, and members of her religious association came together to raise the ransom money, which was eventually transferred at 4:20 pm on Friday.
The money was reportedly sent to a recipient named Isaac Ayo, who claimed that his own sister had also been kidnapped and that he would deliver the ransom alongside his own payment.
After a tense waiting period, Lawal and other abducted victims were finally released late Friday night and taken to a hospital for medical evaluation.
On Saturday morning, her family received confirmation that she was on her way home, prompting an outpouring of gratitude from friends and well-wishers.
“I want to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who contributed, shared the news, and reached out to the necessary authorities. Your support made this possible,” Agbakwara stated.
The incident has once again sparked concerns over the rising wave of kidnappings on Nigeria’s highways, particularly the Benin-Ore Expressway, a notorious hotspot for criminal activities.