The abducted Igbo trader in Akure, the Ondo State capital Mr. Steven Eze, has escaped from the enclave of his captors inside an uncompleted building along Oda road in the outskirts of Akure.
Eze, who was known as a successful plumbing materials merchant and owner of N-Steve Plumbing Works in Arakale commercial area in Akure, was forcefully seized from his two-storey office complex beside a new generation Bank by a gang of armed men believed to be kidnappers, a week ago.
The kidnappers had been communicating with the Eze’s wife on the mobile phone of her husband, demanding a ransom of N50 million which was reduced to N3.8 million after marathon negotiations.
Before he successfully escaped from his abductors, on Monday night, fellow businessmen and Ndigbo in the state had been going around soliciting for financial assistance to raise a sum of N50 million, being the ransom demanded by his abductors.
A source closed to the embattled family revealed that Eze’s banker denied his wife access to the husband’s account which deprived him the opportunity of securing his freedom.
Mrs. Eze was reportedly told by the banker to seek help elsewhere, stressing that it was when and if only a death certificate of Mr.Eze is produced that the wife could withdraw money from the account.
Narrating his ordeal, Eze said his abductors took him to an uncompleted bungalow in the Kajola area of Oda road in the outskirts of the state capital.
He however broke the ceilings of the house and escaped through the roof when all the suspected kidnappers left handcuffed in search of food items
Eze said he ran into the house of one of his friends in the area, who later called in men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
The police later protected him and trailed the kidnappers who had fled after Eze’s escapade.
Police public relation officer (PPRO), Adeniran Aremu confirmed the escape of the Igbo trader from the den of the kidnappers, stressing that men of SARS were on the trail of the kidnappers
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