Delta kidnap victim reunites with family after escape

It was an emotion-laden reunion in Abraka, Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State on Sunday when a kidnapped victim, Joshua Jessa, reportedly abducted by yet-to-be identified kidnappers, ‘miraculously’ escaped from his captors and rejoined his family.

PUNCH Metro gathered on Monday that Jessa, who was kidnapped last week Wednesday, miraculously escaped from the kidnappers’ den on Sunday evening.

Father of the kidnapped victim, Chief Jessa Harrison, the Chief Executive Officer of Jessa Global Limited, could not hide his joy when he embraced his son, Joshua, describing his harrowing experience in the kidnappers’ den as “a miraculous escape.”

Harrison, in a Facebook post on Monday, narrated how his son, Joshua, was kidnapped last Wednesday, but regained his freedom on Sunday evening.

He later spoke on the incident with journalists on Sunday night disclosing that his son “was kidnapped by two armed men who whisked him into the bush on Wednesday, before he ‘miraculously’ escaped from the abductors on Sunday.

“God released my son. I did not pay one naira”, the highly elated father said.

It was gathered that the kidnappers initially demanded N50m ransom but after much negotiation, reduced it to N6m.

It was further learnt that the money was to be paid on Sunday evening before the victim’s escape.

Speaking further, the father posited, “My boy ran from the kidnappers to Kokori from where he called me.

“I thought it was a joke. We then went in search of him.

“I took him to Eku for treatment before I brought him home.”

Jessa however expressed concern over what he tagged the lukewarm response of the police in the community to the complaint of the abduction of his son.

“I was only joined by my younger brother, who is the SSA on Security to the Governor and vigilante members in the search for the boy, after a call from him that he had escaped”, he stated.

The Police Public Relations Officer for Delta State Command, Bright Edafe, could not be reached for comment on the incident as of the time of filing this report. He did not pick up his call when our correspondent called nor respond to the message sent to him.