BREAKING: Kidnapped naval officer, sister freed in Abuja

The kidnapped Navy Lieutenant Cynthia Akor and her sister have been released, The Nation has learnt.

Akor was released around 1:30am in the Karu area of Abuja following a joint operation by the Guards Brigade, Naval Unit Abuja, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command and the Officer of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

The officer who is serving at the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) and her sister were kidnapped by armed men on Friday night at Mpape, a suburb of Abuja.

The criminals were said to have contacted their family and demanded N100million ransom.

But sources told The Nation that between Friday night and Saturday night, N4 million was raised and paid to the kidnappers for both sisters.

As that was going on, joint security efforts were being coordinated to ensure their safe release from custody.

The efforts paid off early on Sunday as the kidnappers who were being trailed by the security forces were said to have abandoned the victims in the Karu area of the FCT.

Sources confirmed that the security forces recovered some cash from the fleeing suspects.

They were said to have abandoned starched cash, some personal effects like clothes as well as the victims when they realized that security forces were closing in on them.

Already, The Nation gathered that some relatives of the kidnappers suspected to have important information on their whereabouts and dealings have been taken into custody by the security forces.

One of the kidnappers’ mother and sister were currently being held by the security forces while the other one’s father and wife was also in custody and assisting operatives with intelligence.