By Chibuike Nwabuko
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – Christian Education Director of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), Rev. Jen Moses, abducted on Friday night has been released.
Moses was kidnapped along Jere- Bwari road on the outskirts of the Federal Capital Territory while on official assignment.
Senator representing Kaduna Central District Comrade Shehu Sani disclosed this on Thursday on his twitter handle @shehusani.
Senator Shehu Sani who tasked the police and military to do more along that axis advised that community leaders in the villages along the road be engaged and involved in the security architecture along that route.
The victim was said to have been admitted to a hospital for injuries he sustained after his abductors beat him up.
Moses was said to have regained freedom after paying a ransom of N2.5million to the abductors suspected to be Fulani herdsmen.
It was gathered that the abductors has earlier demanded the sum of N100million ransom.
According to Punch that a church member and friend of the victim, Nathaniel Ogedengbe, said that the kidnappers became furious after the breakdown of negotiation on the initial N100m ransom demanded, and resorted to beating their victim with rocks and stones.
He said, “Reverend Moses was lucky. Eventually, we paid N2.5m. The Fulani herdsmen instructed us where to take the money to.
They collected the money before the process of his release commenced. The people who collected the money were different from those who released him.
“The kidnappers just told him to start trekking and he trekked for a very long distance before he got to the main road. The person who collected the cash had to confirm to his colleagues that the money was with him.”
When contacted, the General Secretary of ECWA, Yunusa Nmadu, confirmed the release of.Moses, saying he was seriously injured by the bandits.
He said, “Rev. Jen. Moses was released around 10pm on Tuesday. He was picked by a team put together by our church and his wife almost at the same spot that he was kidnapped. He was thoroughly beaten because they wanted to compel him to give them money which, they think, he had.
“The abductors even used rocks and stones on him because they believed that he had money and his people were not just releasing the money. They believed that if they beat him enough, he would disclose where he kept the money. Unfortunately, there was no money anywhere. We thank God that he is in good health.”
During the incident, his driver was shot, while the kidnappers placed a call to the church and family members, demanding N100m ransom.
Nmadu had said the kidnappers were seven Fulani boys, adding that they were all below 20 years of age.