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John Azi, a graduate of the University of Jos (UNIJOS), who was kidnapped on Saturday, April 11, has regained freedom after spending 11 days in captivity.
Azi, who studied early childhood education at the UNIJOS, was abducted while travelling from Jos, Plateau state capital, to Zaria in Kaduna.
His brother, Joseph, had earlier confirmed the abduction to TheCable, saying the kidnappers initially demanded N30 million before reducing it to N5 million, alongside other sensitive items the family declined to disclose.
On Wednesday, a viral video circulated on social media showing the victim alongside a man who claimed he had been freed.
Speaking to TheCable, Bulus Azi, John’s eldest brother, said he was released after the family paid a N10.3 million ransom on Tuesday.
Bulus, however, said the family had yet to reunite with the victim, as he was still being transported from Zaria.
“That video was from Zaria. We are yet to see him, though we are also waiting for him, but we have not gotten him. He’s on his way coming. We chartered a car, and we are still expecting him,” he said.
“After we had paid yesterday, they decided to connect him. They said they will look for a bike man who will bring him out.”
Bulus said his brother received some medical attention shortly after his release, after which the family contacted a driver from a motor park in Kaduna to bring him to Jos.
“We looked for a driver there in a motor park. We communicated with the park, collected the driver’s number, and I transferred money to him,” he said.
“I spoke with the driver like 20 minutes ago, and I also spoke with the boy.”
He disclosed that the ransom was paid in instalments due to changing demands by the abductors.
“We paid it almost three times because whenever there’s news in social media, they will increase the amount. That was what they kept doing,” he said.
He added that the final demand included an additional N4 million after an earlier payment of N6.315 million.
“Today is 11 days. He was kidnapped on the 11th of April 2026 until today,” he added.
When asked whether security agencies were involved, he said the family handled the situation independently despite informing the police.
“We cannot leave him there waiting for police. It’s between us and them. And we have to do what they say we should do to be able to save a life,” he said.
