Kidnappers Refuse N7m Offer for Abducted Ekiti School Pupils

Cursory: Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has assured ongoing efforts for the safe release of kidnapped pupils and staff at Apostolic Faith Group of Schools. Kidnappers demand a N15 million ransom, with full payment insisted upon. Governor Oyebanji pledges continued efforts for the safe return of the abducted individuals.

Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has assured the families of abducted pupils and staff from the Apostolic Faith Group of Schools, Emure Ekiti, that efforts are underway for their prompt and safe rescue. The governor pledged that actions are being taken to not only secure the release of the abductees but also apprehend the culprits for legal consequences.

Gunmen had attacked a school bus carrying children and staff, taking nine individuals to an undisclosed location in the forest. The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Special Interest Groups, Princess Toyin Agbaje-Malomo, provided this information during a visit to the concerned families in Emure Ekiti, where they had gathered, eagerly anticipating the safe return of their loved ones.

In attendance were four families at the event – Mrs. Dorcas Ojo, the grandmother of three children aged 15, 11, and 11; Mr. Adebisi Jegede, whose wife and 12-year-old son are in the kidnappers’ den; Oluwadare Oniya, father of the abducted nine-year-old girl, and Pastor Clement Adebisi, whose wife was kidnapped.

Addressing the embattled parents and families, Agbaje-Malomo said, “You are not alone; we are together in it. Governor Biodun Oyebanji is assiduously working on it so that our people in captivity will be rescued to rejoin families and loved ones.”

A worried grandmother, Ojo, in her reaction, said, “For our gathering this morning, it is money we want. The kidnappers have said that if we bring the money now, they will release them to us

“I have three children there. It is the kidnappers who are calling us that the children are getting weak and that we should bring ‘their’ N15m ransom on time. When we offered them the amount that we have gathered, they rejected it, saying unless the N15m was complete.”

Additionally, Pastor Adebisi emphasized that the kidnappers are adamant about not accepting anything less than N15m as ransom and appealed to the government to intervene for the release of the abductees.

“We want the government to please remedy this situation for the release of the abductees.”

Adebisi, acknowledging the combined efforts of individuals, communities, and the government, mentioned, “With assistance here and there, we have gathered N7m. We pleaded with the kidnappers to accept N7m, but they declined.

We are still seeking N8m to complete the ransom for the rescue. We’ve observed the government’s actions; we saw a helicopter conducting aerial surveillance on Friday.

When the kidnappers contact us, they purposely make the victims cry on the phone to evoke empathy and ensure prompt payment. We require assistance because they have conveyed that they won’t release our people if the ransom is less than N15m,” expressed the concerned husband.

A distressed father, Oniya, appealed, “We implore the government to assist us today so that these people can reunite with us. Let’s first focus on the release of the children; afterward, the government knows what actions can be taken against the perpetrators. My child there is nine years old, and considering the situation they describe, with the kidnappers not providing food or water, it’s been almost a week. We’ve done our best, but it seems insufficient for the kidnappers’ demands.”

Adebisi, who said that the parents and family could see the efforts of individuals, communities and government, said, “With help here and there, we have realised N7m, we begged the kidnappers to accept N7m, but they refused. We are still looking for N8 for it to be completed so that we can rescue these people.

“We see what the government is doing; we saw the helicopter on aerial surveillance on Friday.

“Whenever the kidnappers contact us on the phone, they will be hitting the people with them so that we can hear their cries and feel their pains and take the money to them on time. We need help because they told us that they would not release our people if the money is less than N15m,” the worried husband said.

A distraught father, Oniya, said, “We plead with the government to help us today so that these people can rejoin us today. There is a problem; let us focus first on how the children can be released, after that, the government knows what can be done to arrest the perpetrators.

“My child there is nine years old; at that age, you can imagine the situation she will be in because when we talk with the abducted persons, they tell us that the kidnappers don’t give them food or water. It is going to be a week now. We have tried, but our best appeared not up to what the kidnappers want.”

The Chairman of Emure Local Government Area, Adedayo Adedigbo, highlighted the collaborative efforts of the state government, the Emure community, and security agencies, assuring that these efforts would lead to the rescue of the person in the kidnappers’ den. The Police Public Relations Officer of Ekiti State Command, Sunday Abutu, stated, “Both overt and covert operations to rescue the kidnapped school children have been intensified.”

Abutu said, “The Nigeria Police Force Airwing and the Intelligence Response Team have arrived from Abuja to augment the force we have on the ground”.

Credits: Allschool, PUNCH

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