Kidnappers have shot dead a 47-year-old man, Joshua Musa, after collecting a N750,000 ransom from his family at Manyare community in Gegu-Beki chiefdom of Kotonkarfe area of Kogi State.
A family member identified as Samuel, said the incident happened on Saturday after the Musa had been in captivity.
- Disquiet in Kwara over extension of Assembly clerk’s tenure
- AfDB to harp on energy transition at annual meetings in Ghana
He said his family struggled and raised N750,000 after intense negotiation with the kidnappers who earlier demanded N5m.
He explained that, “After presenting the N750,000 to the kidnappers, they called again demanding another N850,000.
“The kidnappers called that they were aware of the N45,000 kept aside, hence, the family should bring another fresh N850,000 before the victim would be set free.
“We were shocked about how the kidnappers knew that there was extra N45,000 that was reserved to take care of the victim after he might have regained freedom. They then threatened to kill the victim if the family failed to pay the N850,000 after 24 hours.
“Unfortunately, they killed the victim on Saturday evening and called the family to come and pick the corpse at a place. We mobilised to the forest with vigilantes and brought the corpse back home and buried it.”
The spokesman of the Kogi State police command, ASP Williams Ovye Ayah, was yet to reply to an SMS on the incident.