Four kidnapped victims return home

The four Sarawakian hostages who were kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf militant group and released last Wednesday have returned to their families today.

The four men arrived at the Sibu Airport from Kota Kinabalu at about 9am today.

They are brothers Wong Teck Kang, 31, Wong Teck Chii, 29, their cousin Johnny Lau Jung Hien, 21, and Wong Hung Sing, 34.

The four men, who were the crew of a tugboat returning to Sarawak from the Philippines, were abducted in the waters of Pulau Ligitan, Semporna, Sabah, on April 1.

The Abu Sayyaf militants released the men just after midnight on Jolo island, one of its strongholds, according to regional military spokesman Filemon Tan.

READ: Philippine military confirms release of four Malaysians, unsure if ransoms were paid

READ: Four Malaysians freed by Abu Sayyaf flown to Kota Kinabalu

The sailors were then taken by speedboat about 300 kilometres (200 miles) back to Malaysia.

On June 9, they were flown to Kota Kinabalu in a police aircraft after undergoing medical examination in Sandakan.