A University of Jos student who was kidnapped about two weeks ago, John Arum Azi, has been released by his abductors.

He arrived in Jos, the Plateau State capital, on Wednesday at about 10pm.

Azi was abducted while travelling from Jos to Kaduna, and a video of him being tortured by his captors, which was uploaded online, generated reactions across the country and beyond.

He was later moved from Kaduna to Zamfara, prompting rumours that he had been killed.

However, on Tuesday, a short video circulated online showing that he had been released and was in the company of someone who appeared to be his relative.

His elder brother, Bulus, confirmed that he has been reunited with the family and has been admitted to the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) for treatment.

According to Bulus, Azi told the family upon arrival that he was not abducted on his way to Kaduna as widely reported, but in Zaria, where he had gone for a job.

He said Azi had already arrived in Zaria and was on his way to meet his contact when he was kidnapped and taken into the bush.

On how Azi was released, Bulus narrated: “Our family has been in touch with the kidnappers since Azi was kidnapped, and we do send money to them for recharge cards upon their request.

“Sometimes, they will tell us they are sick themselves and that we should send money for their drugs. Meanwhile, we kept negotiating the ransom, and we had earlier agreed on N6 million.

“But when the kidnappers saw the crowdfunding activities online, they increased it to N15 million. But we begged and begged, and we eventually settled at N10,315,000, and that was what we eventually paid them,” he said.

He further explained that upon payment, Azi and another abductee were transported on motorcycles from Zamfara to Zaria, with an armed member of the abductors following behind.

Upon arriving in Zaria, Bulus said the other abductee — a Muslim boy from Toro in Bauchi State — contacted a relative, who rushed them to a hospital where they were immediately given drips.

“After the initial Zaria treatment, we then chartered a vehicle from here (Jos) to Zaria to bring him back. He arrived last night at about 10pm, and we rushed him to the JUTH for proper treatment.

“All his body has stripes from the flogging he received from the kidnappers,” he added.

Asked whether security agencies or government officials were in contact with them during the incident, he said they reported the matter to the police when the video first surfaced, and that the DSS also contacted them at the initial stage.

However, after Azi was released, he said the police only reached out after seeing the video online and offered to assist in escorting them home, but arrived after the family had already picked him up and taken him to JUTH. (Daily Trust)

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