Photo: Leadership

Unknown gunmen. (File Photo)

The daughter of former Senator Nimi Barigha-Amange, Mrs. Diepreye Dagi Darego, who was abducted by armed men suspected to be kidnappers in the early hours of Friday, has been rescued by the police.

Darego was taken hostage at around 9am on Friday along the Port Harcourt International Airport road while on her way to pick her Sister from the Airport by hoodlums who were said to have blocked the car she was driving in, shot severally at it, before whisking her off to an unknown destination.

The State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Indabawa, Saturday confirmed her release and said Darego was abandoned by her abductors following pressure mounted on them by a joint operation of the police and the military. "Yes she has been rescued in the early hours of today (yesterday). A joint operation of the Police, the Military and the State Security Services trailing the kidnappers forced them to abandon the victim and escape," Indabawa said.

The police commissioner, who said the victim was in good health and had since been reunited with her family members, added that the command had enough clues to track down the abductors.

Darego's father, Amange, also confirmed that she had been reunited with he family.

He told THISDAY on telephone that the kidnappers abandoned Darego close to the same place where she was kidnapped by her abductors following pressure from security agencies.

Amange said, "She was kept and released not far from where she was kidnapped. But we thank God, she was not harmed.

"I am extremely happy. Her abduction nearly marred the traditional marriage of her sister whom she went to pick from the airport before the incident. Thank God, she has been rescued and the younger sister's introduction was successful."

He disclosed that the kidnappers had demanded N15 million as ransom and that the family had feigned to be negotiating with the abductors before the security agencies, who had been monitoring the suspects through her telephone, swooped on them.