Saturday 25 February 2017

Abductors of Germans give condition for their release

Kidnappers of a German archaeologists, Peter Breunig and Johannes Buringer, have demanded N60 million naira ransom, PREMIUM TIMES has learnt.

The two men were abducted Wednesday morning at Jenjela village in Kagarko Local Government of Area Kaduna State.

The attackers shot dead two locals who tried to rescue the men, witnesses said.
A source in Kagarko told PREMIUM TIMES late Friday that a senior member of the team that worked with the Germans on an excavation site was contacted by the kidnappers, who demanded N60 million.

The abductors made contact on Thursday, the source said.

“The kidnappers contacted the site managers through telephone on Thursday, and asked for N60 million. They warned him not to involve the police or any security operatives,” the source said.

Police were not aware of the ransom demand, a spokesperson, Aliyu Usman, said.

On Thursday, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo summoned the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, over the abductions.




The News Agency of Nigeria reported that the police chief briefed the Acting President on efforts so far made by police to rescue the victims unhurt and apprehend the kidnappers.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the Germans were kidnapped and how two Nigerians who tried to rescue them were killed in the process.

Usman Kagarko, a witness who joined many others in going after the assailants, said their effort ended when the kidnappers turned back and opened fire.

“We had to scamper for our safety when they opened fire, shooting sporadically at us, killing two local hunters who were in our lead as we chased them on our motorcycles and on foot,” he told PREMIUM TIMES. “If only we are armed or in company of armed security, we would have stopped them because they are on foot.”

He gave the names of the two victims as Anas Ibrahim and Adamu Abdulrahim.

He said many locals were familiar with the Germans who for many years frequently travelled from Abuja to Kaduna for their work.

“So we felt personally concerned that this very friendly foreigners are innocently abducted by criminals under our nose,” he said.

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