Abuja’s kidnapped bank employee dies after N11.5 million ransom paid

By Hannah Nathan, Warri

Austin Ilom, a worker at a commercial bank in Suleja, is said to have passed away after being kidnapped by kidnappers who were causing havoc in the country’s capital.

The deceased was kidnapped from his home in Kubwa, an FCT suburb, near Abuja.

Joe Igbokwe, a prominent member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), announced the news on his official Facebook page.

According to Igboke, the attackers, who chose Austin over Kubwa approximately three weeks ago, had demanded N50 million in exchange for his release.

He said that his brother-in-law, a senator in office, insisted he would not take any action until the bank provided their own funding for his release, and that his bank “refused to help him because he was kidnapped at home and not on duty.”

“In the end, he brought only 3 million, while his coworkers and friends raised a total of 11.5 million.”

“Kidnappers collected the 11m and asked them to go and get the balance, days later kidnappers called that they should come and pick him”.

The deceased’s family had gone to pick him up, but the Facebook post states that “shortly after he got to Bwari hospital, he asked for water, and before they brought it to him, he gave up.”

The Federal Capital Territory Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, stated, “I am trying to get information about this,” when contacted on Wednesday.