The four students of the Kogi State Polytechnic who were kidnapped alongside a commercial bus driver last Friday, December 23, have regained their freedom after their families secured their release with a ransom payment.

The victims were kidnapped on the Akunnu-Ajowa Road in the Akoko North-East Local Government Area of Ondo State last week when they were traveling home from school for the Christmas holiday.

According to reports, the kidnappers had contacted the students' families shortly after the abduction and demanded a sum of N16 million as ransom.

A community leader and former Majority Leader of the Akoko North-West Local Government, Mr. Soji Ogedengbe, who confirmed that the students and the driver were all released on Wednesday, December 28, said an (undisclosed) amount of money was paid to secure their release.