Abducted college lecturers freed in northwest Nigeria

By Rafiu Ajakaye

LAGOS, Nigeria

Three college teachers abducted in Nigeria’s northwestern Kaduna state have been freed following negotiations, an official said.

Rabi Dogo, Halimatu Malam -- both women -- and Dr. Kawo were kidnapped on Sunday as they traveled between Makarfi and Zaria, both major towns in the state.

“I, the administrator of the College, negotiated with the kidnappers and they released them to me,” Yusuf Yakubu, the head of the college, told reporters.

He said they were released late Tuesday but stopped short of saying whether any ransom had been paid.

Police spokesman Aliyu Usman confirmed the release to Anadolu Agency on Wednesday.

The abductors and their motivations were not immediately known but the abduction followed a trend in Kaduna, where top politicians and expatriates had been taken away and freed after ransom was paid.

Although the rate has dropped, abductions remain a key security threat in the area despite heavy security deployments.