CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews/20 July) — Nuraldin Yusoph, son of poll Commissioner Elias Yusoph, was moved from one hideout to another before he was released in Cagayan de Oro City late Monday afternoon, more than a hundred kilometers from where he was abducted in Marawi City on June 20.
This was the surprise ending of the 29-day abduction of the young Yusoph who was snatched in in front of the Bato Ali Mosque in Marawi City.
Nuraldin was not allowed to talk to reporters when he was presented by Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Adiong Jr., and Brig. Gen. Ray Ardo, chief of the Army 103rd Infantry Brigade in the house of Madalum town Mayor Usman Sarangani Jr., at Poison Ivy Street, Camella Homes, Barangay Balulang, this city, this evening.
Wearing a dark blue jacket and white tshirt, Nuraldin appeared to be dazed and at times covered his face from the glare of photographers’ flashes and TV camera lights.
“He (Nuraldin) was probably moved around from one hideout to another until the kidnappers realized that there was no safe place to hide him,” Adiong told reporters.
Adiong said the kidnappers released Nuraldin at Junction Ilaya, Macanhan and Masterson road in Barangay Carmen, this city at around 5:10 pm. Monday.
Environment Secretary Usman Sarangani of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao said a classmate of Nuraldin who works nearby, saw the victim and brought him to Vamenta Subdivision in Opol town, Misamis Oriental.
He said they fetched Nuraldin and brought him to Camella Homes.
Adiong , however, could not say how Nuraldin’s kidnappers eluded police and army checkpoints along the highway between Marawi and Cagayan de Oro.
“We have exerted enough pressure to force the kidnappers to release them,” Adiong said.
Ardo said three Army battalions have searched the hiding places where the kidnappers took Nuraldin in the towns of Poona Bayabao, Piagapo, Tagoloan 2, Bacolod Kalawi and Marawi City. (Froilan Gallardo/MindaNews)
