Kidnapped NPC officials freed

Five days after their abduction, two officials of the National Population Commission (NPC), Taraba unit, have finally reigned freedom, an official has said.

Confirming their release, the federal commissioner of NPC for Taraba, Sani Sale, while speaking with journalists in Jalingo, said the two were kidnapped for five days in Dan-Anacha, Gassol Local Government Area (LGA).

He said they were part of a team working under NPC’s routine Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD), exercise in preparation for the national census.

‘’All praise and glory be to God, they were released Tuesday night January 14th, 2020. In fact, the period of the captivity was a harrowing time for them and their immediate families and the entire NPC,’’ he said.

He added that the moment the NPC was informed about their abduction last week Friday, through a telephone call to his office by the abductors, “the agency swung into action and contacted relevant authorities.”

He said security agencies in the state “were effectively mobilised to ensure their timely release.”

He also said the NPC “went into an intensive negotiation with the kidnappers for their safety and prompt release”.

“It was, on the whole, a very long, tedious and stressful process, sometimes promising and at other times, very frustrating indeed,” he said. “Even after an agreement was reached for the two kidnapped victims to be released Monday, the kidnappers reneged at the last minute, necessitating further discussion.”

Like other parts of Nigeria, Taraba has, in the recent times, witnessed numerous cases of kidnappings, forcing many residents to desert their homes in fear.