The captain of the Sunshine Stars Football Club of Akure, Sunday Abe, on Thursday revealed that the two footballers that were kidnapped on Benin-Akure Expressway, were released after a sum of N2.5million was paid.

The two footballers, Dayo Ojo of Enyimba FC and Benjamin Iluyomade of Abia Comets FC, who were former players of the Sunshine Stars, were kidnapped by some unknown gunmen on their way to Akure from their clubs had gone on vacation due to Covid-19 virus pandemic, on Sunday.

The kidnappers shortly after contacted their families and demanded a sum of N100million before they could be released. They were said to have been released on Thursday morning after the ransom was paid.

However, Abe, who was a former teammate of the duo confirmed on Thursday in Akure, the state capital, that the hoodlums collected N2.5million before the victims were released, noting that the
money was paid in cash to the kidnappers.

Abe stated that he and some family members of the players took the money to the kidnappers one on one before his former teammates were released.

Narrating how the money was paid, he said:

“They called us around after 4 pm on Wednesday that we should come with the money, at times they asked me to send them recharge card, we tried to speak with them on the financial state of the country.

“We negotiated from N100m to N20m before they finally agreed on N2.5 million. They never asked us to drop the money inside the bush, they met with us one on one.

“They asked me to bring the money before they released them and we reached Akure around 1 am on Thursday.”

He added that the money was raised by the teams and families of the victims, saying Ojo’s team (Enyimba FC ) contributed N1.5m while family rallied round to get the remaining N1 million before they could release the duo.

He also confirmed that the kidnappers were young Fulani boys and the money was paid in cash to them, with other people abducted, bringing their own ransom to the spot where they asked them to come and meet them (the Fulani).

The Ondo State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Leo-Tee Ikoro had confirmed that the footballers had been released.

Ikoro, however, noted that no ransom was paid before the release of the Nigeria Professional Football League players.