Family tell of relief as toddler is freed

Jul 10 2007 by Hugh Macknight, The Journal

THE North-East oil worker whose daughter was released by kidnappers in Nigeria over the weekend has vowed to stay in the troubled country.

Mike Hill, 60, originally from Murton, County Durham, said: “I live here and I work here.

“Just because people get mad, they kidnap the children. It’s very worrying but things have got to get better – they can’t get worse.”

His three-year-old daughter Margaret was kidnapped on Thursday while she was being driven to school by a gang of men who smashed windows of the car she was travelling in and snatched her.

Mr Hill, married to the youngster’s Nigerian mother, Oluchi, known as Tina, said of the ordeal: “The pressure is unbelievable, it’s difficult to explain.

“You stop eating and can’t think of anything else. You are just worrying all the time.

“I was trying to comfort my wife and she was waking up crying.”

Margaret’s half brother David, 33, who lives on the Red House estate in Sunderland, said the little girl had screamed with delight down the phone as she spoke to him after her three-day ordeal.

David said: “She just kept shouting ‘David’ down the phone. We are all over the moon.”

“It’s the best news ever.”

David, who had also been working in Nigeria but left at his dad’s insistence after violence flared, added: “We don’t think she fully understands what’s happened but she knows she has not seen her mum and dad for a few days.

“When I spoke to them last night, she was in high spirits.”

Margaret’s aunt said she was delighted at seeing her niece back in the arms of her father.

Cathy Duffy, 64, a retired barmaid, also from Murton, said she had received a call late on Sunday evening to tell her Margaret was safe and well.

The mother of seven and grandmother of 14, revealed she had cried herself to sleep at the prospect of never seeing her niece again.

“I'm so happy. It's absolutely fantastic, absolutely brilliant. I’m really pleased.

“The foreign office phoned and the gentleman said he was sorry it was late but he thought I would want to know that Margaret had been handed over just 10 minutes before. I phoned my brother and he said she was fine but that she was a

little bit subdued and absolutely covered in mosquito bites.

“She didn't want to talk and they are looking after her and just glad to have her back.

“Apart from the bites she was fine, and they’re taking her to hospital for a check up. Mike’s still a little bit down over what has happened but that’s understandable.

“He’s just glad to have her back home.

“He and Tina were due to come across for a holiday next month but I don’t think they'll do that now, maybe they’ll decide to have a few weeks to themselves to let it settle down. There was so much publicity and I think that helped and maybe the kidnappers took fright.

“Mike will stay out there despite everything that’s happened, there’s nothing left for him back here.

“He moved to Nigeria after his second wife died.

“Then he met Tina and she's absolutely lovely. We’ve all met her and they’re very happy together.

“Nigeria is their home, and if it wasn’t for the troubles they have in the country it would be fine.”