KOTA KINABALU: Marine police constable Zakiah Aleip, who was abducted by Abu Sayyaf militants in Pulau Mabul, Semporna in July last year, has been released.
Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Jalaluddin Abdul Rahman said Kons Zakiah was released by his kidnappers at about 2.30pm on Friday, and was sent to Sulu at about 11pm on the same day.
“Our team of police managed to get him out of Indanan in Sulu and he arrived in Sandakan at about 7.30am on Saturday,” Jalaluddin said.
An hour later, Kons Zakiah was brought to meet Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman at his house at Kampung Sungai Kayu in Sandakan.
Musa said he had informed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak of the policeman’s release.
The release was made possible through continuous negotiations with his captors, Musa added.
Kons Zakiah was abducted after gunmen attacked a marine police unit Pulau Mabul at around 11.10pm on July 12.
His colleague Kpl Ab Rajah Jamuan, 32, was killed in the attack.
Zakiah is believed to have been held in the Abu Sayyaf’s jungle hideout in Jolo island in the southern Philippines.
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