There was a sigh of relief in Ora Kingdom, Eredo Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Lagos State after the wife of the town’s chief regained freedom from the kidnappers’ den following payments of ransom.
The chief’s wife, Omotolani Ogungbesan, regained freedom 15 days after her abductors dropped her under the bridge along Iwo road, Ibadan, Oyo State.
As gathered on Friday, Omotolani was kidnapped by the gunmen along Epe-Ijebu-Ode expressway in Eredo LCDA last month, ferried to their den, and demanded ransom before release.
The victim’s husband, Peter Ogungbesan, who is Olu-Ora of Ora Kingdom, disclosed that her wife has reunited with the family.
According to him, my wife was set free on Sunday precisely under the bridge along Iwo road, Ibadan, Oyo state capital, at about 8:30 p.m.
“She was released after paying a huge amount of money as ransom to her abductors. We had to source the ransom money through contributions from family members and other sources”.
He noted that ransom was paid to her abductors after warning the family against contacting the Nigerian Police and other security agencies.
Aside from that, the leader of the Ora kingdom stressed that they never wanted her to stay more in the kidnappers’ den, saying “the house was empty with her absence.”
“First, I give glory to Almighty God. We thank God for his mercy for keeping us for the 15 days and keeping her too. Though a lot of things happened, we give God all the glory. We thank the Lagos State Government.
“The Lagos State Council of Obas and Chiefs; Baale – in – Councils; all my family and her family too, most especially, my community, for all there prayers, the Apostolic Faith Church in general. We thank all of them for their prayers.
“They supported the family morally and financially, most especially my, Baale-in-Council (Olu-Ora Baale-in-Council), they have done a wonderful thing, they are with me, and they really gave all the support I needed. I give glory to God and I appreciate them all.
“Like an adage that says, “an idle hand, is the devil’s workshop,” if you listen to our conversation when they are making negotiations, you will know that they are not doing it (kidnapping) because they love it.
“They are doing it because of the situation of the country. As for us who fell as their victims, they thought we had money, but we don’t have.
“But to me, I have forgiven them (kidnappers) already. I, don’t have anything to do with them. My own is that I pray for them that may God, touch their heart and change them for better.”
“Whatever they gain from us, I pray they use it in a way that will increase and help other people too. So, I pray for them for forgiveness; I don’t hold any grudge with anybody,” he added.
It would be recalled that unidentified gunmen abducted the chief’s wife shortly after attending Sunday church service around.
