Jos Entrepreneur and Brother Freed After Ransom Payment

A young entrepreneur serving with Nigeria’s National Youth Service Corps, Allwell Nelson, and her brother, a University of Jos student, have regained their freedom three days after they were abducted from their residence in Dong, a suburb in Jos, the Plateau State capital.

The siblings were seized on Sunday, Sept. 14, and held in captivity until Wednesday evening, Sept. 17, when they were released following the payment of ransom. Kidnappers had initially demanded ₦50 million, but family sources said the sum was bargained down to ₦10 million before their release. Joey Off-Air, however, cannot independently confirm if that exact amount was paid.

“The military did not take action, ransom was paid,” said family friend Abisola Lawal, who first confirmed their abduction. Neither the Plateau State government nor the police have commented publicly on the case.

Their ordeal sheds light on Nigeria’s thriving kidnap-for-ransom industry, which has become one of the country’s most persistent security crises. Between July 2024 and June 2025, at least 4,722 people were abducted across nearly 1,000 incidents nationwide, according to SBM Intelligence. Kidnappers demanded about ₦48 billion in ransom during that period, but victims’ families paid an estimated ₦2.57 billion. At least 762 people were killed in abduction-related violence.

Analysts say the scale of the crisis has turned ransom kidnapping into a booming criminal economy. Families often negotiate down the kidnappers’ demands, but payments still fuel a cycle of abductions that has spread from Nigeria’s northwest into central and southeastern states.

For residents of Plateau State, where sporadic armed violence has already unsettled communities, the latest incident is a stark reminder of the government’s struggle to contain the menace.

Disclosure: This news story was drafted with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor. Some of the reporting was conducted on the ground by our correspondent.