The abducted deputy vice-chancellor of Abia State University, Godwin Emezue, has been released after 21 days of captivity.
Gunmen has on January 26 abducted Emezue from a petrol station at Umuekwule, Amachara, a community in Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State, South-east Nigeria.
Emelue, a professor, was said to have driven into the station alongside his wife to refuel their vehicle when the gunmen attacked them.
According to report, the hoodlums, numbering about three, dragged the professor into their waiting Lexus SUV, collected his wife’s ATM card and zoomed off.
Following this, Emelue was released on Tuesday night after payment of N25 million as ransom to the hoodlums.
This was disclosed to Premium Times by a lecturer at the university, who pleaded anonymity, said the university management announced the release of the deputy vice-chancellor in the institution’s staff WhatsApp platform on Wednesday morning.
The lecturer, however, said the information about the payment of ransom was not given.
When contacted on Wednesday morning, the spokesperson of the university, Chijioke Nwogu, confirmed the development release
“You know issues of security; we leave it to security people. But we know that he (Emezue) has been released,” he said.
Mr Nwogu, however, said he has no details of the deputy vice-chancellor’s release and asked our reporter to get the details from the police in the state.
He also could not say if the N25 million ransom was paid ransom.
The police spokesperson in the state, Maureen Chinaka, did not respond to calls and a text message seeking her comments.
