Chris Awhawha
In a remarkable turn of events, Joshua Jessa, who was kidnapped last Wednesday in Abraka, Delta State, managed to escape his captors and returned home safely on Sunday. His family, who had been anxiously awaiting his return, were overjoyed to reunite with him.
According to PUNCH, the victim’s father, Chief Jessa Harrison, the CEO of Jessa Global Limited, described the escape as nothing short of a miracle. “God released my son. I did not pay one naira,” he said, expressing gratitude for his son’s safe return.
Harrison shared that his son was abducted by two armed men who took him into the bush, and after days of confinement, he managed to flee on Sunday evening.
According to family sources, the kidnappers initially demanded a ransom of N50 million, later reducing it to N6 million after negotiations. However, before the family could finalize the payment, Joshua managed to escape, reaching the nearby community of Kokori, from where he called his father.
“We couldn’t believe it when he called. My boy ran from the kidnappers to Kokori,” Harrison recounted. “We immediately rushed to find him and took him for medical treatment in Eku before bringing him home.”
Chief Harrison expressed frustration with what he termed the “lukewarm response” of local police, stating that only his younger brother, who serves as the Senior Special Assistant on Security to the Delta State Governor, and local vigilantes aided in the search.
As of this report, efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, for comments on the incident have been unsuccessful.