Kidnapped Pakistanis: N10m rtansom paid for his release – Suspect

Fresh facts emerged on Wednesday that the gunmen who abducted five Pakistanis off the coast of Bayelsa State freed them after collecting N10m ransom.

One of the suspected kidnappers, Jackson Fabowei, popularly known in the underworld as Adaka Boro junior gave the revelation in Yenagoa.

Incidentally, Fabowei is also being held by the police for masterminding the April 5 gruesome murder of 11 policemen along Azuzuama creeks in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state.

The Pakistanis were abducted on May 24 off the coast of Bayelsa State by gunmen who attacked their vessel christened MT MATRIX.

They were, however, freed on June 6 through the efforts of the former Secretary-General of the Ijaw Youths Congress, Mr. Duncan Eradiri.

Eradiri, who is a presidential candidate in the forthcoming IYC election, was said to have led the negotiation that compelled the gunmen to free their victims.

The five Pakistanis were identified as Rashid Igbal, Wajid Muhammad, Waqas Admed, Mushtag Admed and Mujtaba Ghlum Muhammad.

They are workers of Metrix Energy, an oil servicing company.

Eradiri had, however, said no ransom was paid to the kidnappers.

But Fabowei who was arrested by the Joint Task Force, Operation Pulo Shield, and later handed over to the police said N10m ransom was paid.

He said he took part in the kidnapping shortly after his involvement in the killing of the 11 policemen.

The deceased policemen were ambushed on April 5 while on their way to Azuzuama to provide security at the funeral of the mother of the former militant commander popularly known as the Young Shall Grow.

The suspect was paraded by the JTF on June 7.