By Kingsley Omonobi, Abuja

The Police in Abuja yesterday made another breakthrough in the fight against kidnapping in the FCT with the rescue of a British Citizen, Mr. Ian Weaver, who was abducted on 22nd of this month, at about 11. 45 pm while on his way to Sheraton Hotels, with the abductors demanding the sum of $3million dollars as ransom for his release.

Briefing newsmen on the rescue effort, Inspector General of Police, Ognonna Onovo said that when the kidnappers saw that it would be difficult to get the $3million, they initially reduced the amount to $1million and later they brought it down to N10million.

On the efforts by the Police to free the British National, Onovo said, “After his abduction, the FCT Police Command made spirited efforts to get him freed all to no avail until the kidnappers called and demanded for the ransom.

They later negotiated and brought the amount down to N10million”.

“While this was going on, the CP of the Command, Haruna John and his men were combing the nooks and crannies of Abuja until they narrowed the suspects to a bush in Dutse Alhaji, near the Kubwa District and this (Friday) morning, the kidnappers (2 of them) were caught after an exchange of gunshot but Mr. Weaver was not injured”.

He added that the leader of the  gang and about 3 others escaped into the bush during the raid by the FCT Police Command and operatives of the Anti-terrorists squad of the police force.

While expressing happiness with the successful rescue of the British National, the IGP assured that the Nigeria Police force will continue to do its best to deal with criminal elements especially kidnappers in the country and called for assistance from the British authorities in acquiring tracking equipment that can be used to track kidnappers.

British Ambassador to Nigeria, Bob Dewar in his speech commended the Nigeria Police force for the feat noting that news of the abduction of Mr. Weaver, had been very unsettling and that the reaction of the force when he contacted the IGP resulting in Weaver’s rescue was wonderful.

Narrating his experience, Mr. Weaver who is a staff of Kobat International services, a Pre-shipment Inspection outfit of Nigerian Exports, said  he left his house in Wuse, near the Turkish International school and was heading to the SHERATON hotels, when a car suddenly crossed their way, with three men jumping out and forcefully entering his car.

“They drove round and round places I could not see and took me to the top of a hill in a thick bush. In fact, by the time we got to the top, it took us 3 and half hours to get  there. In the morning, their leader came and told me what to do to get freed. But I told him, they seized my phone. He then brought his phone for me to get across and tell my people about the ransom’.

Describing the 3 days experience as tortuous, the Briton said, “It was regrettable that there was no drycleaner in the bush. I could not take my bath; I could not change my clothes. Right now pardon me because I smell. They fed me with Mr. Biggs and 2 cans of beer. But the more the days dragged, the more I became afraid because they could do anything.

The suspects arrested are Mr. Chidiebere Okoye (31yrs) from Anambra State and Mr. Ikechukwu Paul (41yrs) from Enugu State are cooling off with the FCT Police Command.