Kidnappers Withhold Victims After Payment of Ransom in Ekiti

Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti

Kidnappers have refused to release their victims a fortnight after ransom had been paid, thereby stoking apprehension about the condition of the captives.

The victims are Abayomi Fagbemi from Ilupeju-Ekiti, a nodal town in Oye-Ekiti Local Government Area and Musa Ojo from Kogi State, though a resident of Aisegba Ekiti, a community in Gbonyin Local Government Area.

The duo were kidnapped at gunpoint between Ilu-Omoba and Aisegba Ekiti few weeks back.

According to wife of one of the victims, Mrs Fagbemi the abductors contacted her on telephone to demand for a ransom of 15m, but which was later reduced to 10m a day after.

She noted that after much begging, the abductors agreed to take N1 million for her husband alone while they agreed to take N2 million from the families of the other victim. 

Fagbemi said after ransom was paid two weeks as agreed, both families were shocked that the victims were not released.

She regretted that the family laboured hard to raise the money, with their hopes now being dashed by the adamant posture of the captors. 

She said: “It is now two weeks after we paid the ransom, my husband has not been freed. This is eliciting serious threat, panic and tension in our town and family.

“Most traumatising was the fact that we have not been able to reach him on telephone for one and half weeks now. The number the kidnappers were using to reach out to us had been switched off.

The family appealed to the Amotekun Corps and the Ekiti State Police Command to upscale their searches around Aisegba-Agbado-Imesi Irun and Aisegba-Agbado-Ise forests to rescue the victim from the captors.

When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Ekiti State Police Command, Mr. Sunday Abutu promised to get back, though had not reached out to THISDAY as at the time of this publication.

The Commander, Ekiti State Amotekun Corps, Retired, Brigadier General, Olu Adewa said the command “is making frantic efforts to rescue the victims.”