Late Edo Ex-Speaker's Wife Regains Freedom

By Simeon Osajie

The wife of late former Edo Speaker, Mrs. Hassana Garuba who was abducted by some unknown gunmen has been released after she was kidnapped.

Mrs. Garuba was kidnapped along with her driver last Saturday evening at Kabba junction on the Abuja-Lokoja road, Kogi State on her way to Auchi, Edo State for the funeral of her husband who passed away earlier in the day at the National Hospital, Abuja.

A former member of the Edo State House of Assembly and World Wide President of Our Lady of Fatima, Auchi Old Boys College,  Association with (OLOFOBA), Mr. Pascal Ugbome broke the news of the release on the association WhatsApp chat group.

Details of how she was released were however sketchy but an elated  Ugbome wrote: "BREAKING NEWS.

The wife and driver of the late Rt. Hon. Zakawanu Garuba have just secured their freedom from the kidnappers who abducted them since Saturday. To God be the glory. Gratitude to all who showed concern especially Governors Godwin Obaseki and Yaya Bello, law enforcement agencies in both Edo and Kogi States and others too numerous to mention for now. The family will issue a detailed statement in due course."

"It was not clear how much ransome money was eventually paid to the kidnappers who initially a princely N20 million, an amount which they slashed to N15 million before letting go of their quarries.

During the commando like operation, the aged mother of the deceased People's Democratic Party (PDP) former legislator who was a member of the Board of Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) was also abducted but was immediately released by the captors.

The remains of Garuba who died at 54 have since been laid to rest in his hometown of Auchi, Etsako West Local Governmrnt Area in strict observance of National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) regulations on social distancing.

His corpse arrived Auchi last Saturday night and was  immediately buried in accordance with Islamic rites in a low key private ceremony.