A former member of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Friday Makama, and eight others abducted in an Abuja hotel last week have regained their freedom.
The ex-lawmaker and others were abducted at Hilltop International Premium Hotel at Tunga-Maje in Gwagwalada Area of the Federal Capital Territory on Wednesday night.
It was gathered that Makama and some of his kinsmen had gathered at the hotel to hold a community reconciliation meeting slated for Thursday.
The gunmen numbering about 15, it was learnt, surrounded the hotel premises and shot sporadically throughout their operations.
The manager of the hotel, Adejoh Maquile, had told newsmen that he would have been killed had he not dodged one of the shots aimed at him.
One of the hotel workers, who pleaded not to be named, told our correspondent on Sunday that all the nine abducted persons have been freed.
READ ALSO: No going back on planned Yoruba Nation protest in Lagos – Sunday Igboho
He, however, did not disclose if ransom was paid or not.
He said, “The kidnappers have freed all the nine persons abducted from the hotel. They freed them early on Sunday.
“Except for the security man that was shot, who went to the hospital for treatment, all other persons have gone home. I cannot confirm if ransom was paid or it was the police that rescued them, but all I can tell you is that they have all been freed.”
The police spokesperson for the FCT, Mariam Yusuf, also confirmed their release.
(Punch)
