Adewunmi Samuel Sofomade, the leader of the Abuja-based music band kidnapped along the Lokoja highway, has disclosed the amount paid for their release.

The band leader was abducted in December 2023, alongside his crew, while returning from a show in Kogi State. The 13-man group was later released after a few days in captivity.

Recounting his ordeal in a recent interview with BBC Yoruba, the band leader, also called Omoba De Jombo Beats, stated that the kidnappers later reduced their ransom from N10m to N7 million each before they were released.

“We were 13 that went to perform at a burial ceremony in Itakete Isao, close to Isanlu in Kogi State. And we had to move by road because they don’t have an airport in Kogi.

“We had gone since Thursday. We finished performing at about 5:30 pm on Friday. So we felt that there was still time to return to Abuja. The incident happened just after we have past Dangote Cement.

“We spent six days with the kidnappers inside a very thick forest and the six days felt like six years because a lot of things happened in that forest.

“They asked for N10 million each. We started begging their commandant that we could not gather N10 million. He later reduced it to N7 million each.

“When we received the information that the money had been completed but there was no cash during the December period, we started looking for cash. They initially agreed that the money be converted to dollars, but their leader later changed his mind and insisted on naira.”

Daily Post