Eromosele Ebhomele

Steve Nwosu, Deputy Managing Director of The Sun Newspapers and husband of Toyin, who regained freedom from kidnappers in Lagos on Thursday, has expressed gratitude to all Nigerians for their support and concern while the family’s travail lasted.

Nwosu explained that his wife was released by the abductors early today but did not state if any ransom was paid to secure her release.

He said he did not know how it happened, but that very early on Thursday, his family received a call from someone telling them how and where to locate the woman.

He said upon getting to the place, they found his wife and brought her home.

Abducted since early Monday, Toyin was released around 2.20 a.m as confirmed by the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Mr Fatai Owoseni.

She was conveyed in a boat and dropped near Zenith Bank by FESTAC Bridge by the abductors.

According to Owoseni, Toyin was picked up by her husband and policemen at 1st Gate, FESTAC Town.

Our correspondent could not reach Toyin directly as she was said to be taking care of herself.

But guests at the family house at Bale Street, Ogundairo Bashorun Sunmonu Akanwo Estate, Lagos said she had earlier thanked and commended Nigerians, her colleagues, staff of her husband’s media organisation and media houses for their concern,

Nwosu had earlier narrated that the abductors, who were obviously robbers, stormed his home banging on the door after earlier robbing another building in the neighbourhood.

“When the banging continued, I realised that it was happening in the palour.

“Then I saw them jumping into the living room and instantly pointed their guns at me.

“Three of them were in the palour at that time. One of them was wielding an AK 47 rifle, one a pistol, while the third was having a sledge hammer with which they pulled down the burglar proof.

“Immediately, they started shouting: ‘Bring the money! Bring the money! There and then, I started pleading with them that there was no money in the house. But they persisted.

“Then they forced me to lie face down on the floor; they began stepping on me and hitting me. In the process, I sustained injuries in my lips.

“At that point, the noise of the encounter woke up the children who rushed to the palour and began screaming, ‘daddy, daddy!’

“Then, the gunmen herded them into their room and locked them all up. Instantly, the children obeyed them and stopped screaming.

“Then, they went for my wife and again screaming: ‘where is the money!, Where is the money and the jewelry too!’

“They took her to all the rooms, and began ransacking everywhere. When they could not get anything, they returned to the palour, took a scarf and blindfolded me.

“They told me to get up and follow them. Then as they were going out, they changed their mind and took me back to the palour and then asked my wife to go and dress up because she was putting on a pyjamas at that time.

“Again, they told me to lie face down still blindfolded. Then suddenly, I heard people shouting ‘ole, ole’ outside, and a gun shot followed. Later they shot at the people screaming. This was what I learnt afterwards.

“Realising that they might have left, I stood up and started searching for my wife. It was in the process that I discovered that the children were locked up in their room.

“Eventually I came out when I could not see my wife; then I was told by neighbours that four other men were outside waiting for the three that came inside the house. I was also told that they took my wife into a boat and sped off.

“The whole operation lasted for about 30 minutes. It began with the banging at the window at about 1.50am. At that point, I was even too confused to call anybody, not even the police,” Nwosu had said.

“It was probably robbery taken too far. They also robbed a neighbour who jumped over the fence and sustained some degree of injury. Even when we are under Okota Police jurisdiction, it was the police from Festac Division that came. The roads leading to our area is very bad,” he had added