{"id":47633,"date":"2023-03-27T11:02:25","date_gmt":"2023-03-27T09:02:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/kidnapped-hilton-wicks-found-20230327\/"},"modified":"2025-03-21T00:31:03","modified_gmt":"2025-03-20T22:31:03","slug":"kidnapped-hilton-wicks-found-20230327","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/kidnapped-hilton-wicks-found-20230327\/","title":{"rendered":"Kidnapped Hilton Wicks found safe"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Hilton Wicks (24) from Nqanqarhu (Maclear), that was kidnapped on 24 March, has been found.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eastern Cape Hawks spokesperson, Captain Yolisa Mgolodela, confirmed that Wicks was found safe early this morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHe was dropped at Kei Bridge during the early hours of the day. He is safe,\u201d Mgolodela said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>No further information is available at this stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div contenteditable=\"false\" data-embed24=\"Custom\" data-pos=\"middle\" id=\"embed_d71bde09\">\n<div class=\"custom\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Victim Hilton Wicks has been freed. It is believed one suspect has been arrested. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Kidnapping?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Kidnapping<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/LxkNHInkWf\">https:\/\/t.co\/LxkNHInkWf<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/SP5HXVzfMR\">pic.twitter.com\/SP5HXVzfMR<\/a><\/p><p>\u2014 Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Abramjee\/status\/1640233181134614528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 27, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><script async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wicks was abducted in his hometown on Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He is the son of a prominent Eastern Cape businessman from Maclear. He was also the head boy of Kingswood College in Makhanda in 2016.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When the <em>Express<\/em> asked about the rumour of ransom demands that were made for the release of the victim, she said: \u201cFor the benefit of the victim and the family, we cannot divulge that information. We are lying low. But we are involved in the investigation,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div data-embed24=\"Oovvuu2\" data-pos=\"middle\" id=\"embed_5d9719d7\">\n<div><script type=\"text\/javascript\">!function(e,t,r){let n;if(e.getElementById(r))return;const a=e.getElementsByTagName(\"script\")[0];n=e.createElement(\"script\"),n.id=r,n.defer=!0,n.src=\"https:\/\/playback.oovvuu.media\/player\/v1.js\",a.parentNode.insertBefore(n,a)}(document,0,\"oovvuu-player-sdk\");<\/script><p><\/p>\n<div data-oovvuu-embed=\"5d9719d7-e485-4c74-809f-27eb6e07f49d\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"4\" layout=\"responsive\" resizable=\"\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin\" src=\"https:\/\/playback.oovvuu.media\/frame\/5d9719d7-e485-4c74-809f-27eb6e07f49d\" width=\"5\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hilton Wicks (24) from Nqanqarhu (Maclear), that was kidnapped on 24 March, has been 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