From Osagie Otabor, Benin
Sunshine Stars Skipper, Abe Sunday, has said that N2.5m was paid to kidnappers for the release of Dayo Ojo of Enyimba FC and Benjamin Iluyomade of Abia Comets.
Abe was one of the persons that negotiated and delivered the ransom to the kidnappers.
The two footballers who were former teammates at Sunshine Stars FC of Akure, were kidnapped at Ipele town along Benin-Akure Expressway in Owo Local Government Area of the state.
Abe said that the money was paid in cash to the kidnappers at Elegbeka after Owo local government.
He said he accompanied the two brothers of Dayo, Femi and Sunday, to deliver the money and secured the release of the two players.
Read Also: District head, 13 others rescued from kidnappers in Zamfara
Abe also said the kidnappers began the negotiation from N200m to but eventually settled for N2.5m.
The Sunshine FC skipper stated that contributed N1.5m while the family added N1m and was taken to the spot where the kidnappers asked them to go.
“They called us around after 4pm on Wednesday that we should come with the money, at times they asked me to send them recharge card. We tried to speak with them on the financial state of the country.
“We negotiated from N100m to N20m before they finally agreed on N2.5 million. Those people have back up in the Army and the Police. They never asked us to drop the money inside the bush, they met with us one on one.
“They asked me to bring the money before they released them, so I don’t know where police rescued them because I don’t like ‘fake news’. We reached Akure around 1am on Thursday (yesterday).
“But the most important thing is that both of them are alive and are back with their families.”
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