Prison official regains freedom six days after abduction

Innocent Ogbu, Deputy Superintendent of Corrections (DSC) at the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), has regained freedom after being held captive for six days.

Rabiu Shuaibu, spokesperson for the NCoS in Niger State, confirmed the development in a statement on Sunday.

Ogbu, who was abducted on November 23 alongside 15 other passengers while traveling to Enugu in a commercial bus, was freed on Friday night.

He is currently receiving medical care in Minna, Niger State’s capital.

Ogbu was on his way to attend the DSC development course at the correctional training school in Enugu when the incident occurred.

The kidnappers reportedly demanded N10 million in ransom from his family, but it remains unclear whether any payment was made.

Shuaibu did not comment on the release of the other abducted passengers.

This is not the first such incident in Niger State. In April, gunmen kidnapped Abdulrahaman Ibrahim Gelele, Controller of Corrections of the Niger State Correctional Centre, along the Ilorin-Minna road.

The abduction underscores the growing insecurity and risks faced by correctional service officials across the country.