NIS officer’s wife freed 24 hours after abduction in Lagos

In a relief to her family, Mrs. Ladi Abel, the wife of a Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) officer, has been rescued after being allegedly kidnapped in Lagos.

The 45-year-old woman was abducted on Monday by suspected criminals along the Badagry-Mile 2 expressway, sparking fears for her safety.

According to reports from The Nation, Mrs. Abel was found and rescued late Tuesday at 47 Ogunleye Street, a swampy area in the Ibereko community of Badagry, just 24 hours after her abduction.

According to sources, the woman, who was on her way to the International Trade Fair Complex, Ojo, boarded a commercial bus that turned out to be operated by criminals.

Her daughter, Naomi, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), revealed that the abductors whisked 15 persons away that morning at Torikoh Bus Stop, Badagry, adding the criminals drugged them.

“When they entered the commercial vehicle, the men blew a white substance on them, which made them unconscious. About 15 of them were taken to their hideout in Ibereko area, and they were taking them out one by one after receiving their ransom.

“My mother said some of the kidnapped victims in the bus were working for them,” she said.

The suspected kidnappers contacted the family that Monday through her mobile phone and demanded N7million before reducing the demand to N3million by Tuesday morning.

But unknown to them, crack detectives of the police command commenced tracking following their call and were able to pinpoint their location.

It was gathered that around 11pm on Tuesday, a team comprising police and NIS operatives stormed the swampy area where the woman was found.

The suspected kidnappers were said to have fled the scene, leaving the woman, they earlier refused to release after allegedly collecting N2.5m from her husband, CSI Abel Mada.

Spokesman for the SEME Border Command of the NIS, Isaac Elijah, confirmed the woman’s rescue, adding that the team deployed for the operation engaged in a house-to-house search.

“It took the efforts of about 20 immigration officers, 25 Police officers and some good people of Ibereko community to rescue the victim. The Divisional Police Officer of Badagry Police Station, CSP Folajimi Akosile was in charge of the operation that burst the syndicate in their hideout.

“But unfortunately, none of them was arrested because they had fled leaving only the victim in their hideout,” he said.

Narrating the ordeal, the woman’s husband said he sent N2.5m to the kidnappers who insisted on getting the balance of N500,000 before her release.

“When they were shouting on my wife, we first sent N500,000 and later, N2,000,000 in the evening, but they insisted that we have to balance the remaining N500,000 before they release her.

“I was still looking for the balance N500,000 when I heard that she had been rescued by the Police and Immigration around Ibereko swampy area,” he said.