How We Paid N15M Ransom, Fried Rice, Energy Drinks, Milk, Tramadol To Secure Release of Kidnapped Ekiti Pupils, Teachers – Family

Family of abductors of the pupils and teachers of the Apostolic Faith Group of Schools, Emure-Ekiti, Emure Local Government Area of Ekiti state have revealed that the gunmen collected N15 million ransom and other items to release the victims.

The gunmen had on Monday ambushed the school bus conveying the pupils and staff to Eporo-Ekiti, suburb of Emure at a bad spot and whisked away five pupils and four members of staff including the driver to the forest

The kidnappers later reached out to the families of the victims and demanded a ransom of N100m for the release of their loved ones but after much pleading the gunmen reduced the ransom to N15 million on Thursday and insisted on the amount.

Relatives of the victims said that the hostages were released in a forest between Owo and Oba-Akoko in Ondo state at about 1:30am on Sunday.

However, the Kidnappers killed the driver of the school bus, identified as Taiwo Olugbaye in the forest.

One of the parents of the victims who spoke on the condition of anonymity revealed that members of the community and other indigenes both home and abroad contributed the ransom.

He stated that the kidnappers asked the family to bring the ransom, alongside other items such as fried rice, drinks and tramadol to the forest to secure the release of the eight victims.

The family source disclosed that the driver was killed by the kidnappers after he was said to have reneged in dropping the telephone numbers of his relatives to call for ransom.

According to one of the parents, ” We have to thank God for the safe return of our children and wives from the forest after they were kidnapped since Monday.

” The kidnappers insisted on collecting N15 million on Saturday and we rallied round the communities including our people outside the country to see the ransom. They even collected a cartoon of tin milk , black bullet, fried rice with chicken, soft and energy drinks and tramadol from us.

” We were asked to take the money and the items to a bush in Ondo state , a farmstead called Ago Paanu at about 7pm. It is between Oba Akoko and Owo. Before they could release them, they confirmed the money and those items. We walked through the bush till around 1am when we saw the victims.”

On why the driver was killed by the gunmen, the family source said, ” The children told us that when they(Kidnappers) were asking for telephone number of relatives to call from each of them in the forest, the driver told them he didn’t know that of his wife and school proprietor of hand, this made them angry and they hit him with their gun.

” For five days , he was said to be having issues after the injury he sustained and was shot dead on Saturday morning. The most painful was that his corpse was burnt in the bush, according to what they pupils told us.

“It was a bitter experience for the victims especially looking at how the driver was killed. We appreciate the efforts of the state government and the security agencies.”

Recounting how they retrieved the victims in the bush, a parent who spoke at the premises of the hospital on condition of anonymity said, ” the kidnappers were calling persistently that we should hurry up. They said we should meet them at Ikare Junction. I wondered how come Ikare junction when they took the children at Eporo?

” When we got to Ikare Junction, he said we should buy food, so we went to buy rice and meat. We were about to get to Waterworks, he called that we should turn back, then the kidnapper described a road that only big vehicles could pass. We decided that all of us should not go there so that they would not think that we came with policemen that could make them injure the abductees with them.

” When we told them we were on the path, he said only two persons should come. He threatened to waste the kidnapped persons if more than two persons should come. Only two continued while the rest of us sat on the road there. The driver of the vehicle and one person continued far into the forest and drove back. So, they now used a motor bike to trace the kidnappers to drop the money and the food.

” On collecting the money and food, he released the kidnapped persons. They used motor bike to bring the kidnapped persons to the road, it was then they called us to bring the vehicle to convey them. The kidnappers collected N15 million. We (parents and families) contributed N4m, people came to our aid by contributing the rest.Even in the markets, they contributed so that they would be rescued. ”

The police command in the state through a statement

The police spokesman, DSP Abutu Sunday who confirmed the release of the victims, said they were rescued by combined team of the police and other security agencies, including the Amotekun Corps, local vigilantes and hunters and the support from state and federal governments.

Abutu said, ” While we sympathise with the family members of the driver who is suspected to have been killed by the abductors while in hostage, the Command vows to continue with the operation and investigation until the perpetrators are arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law.

” Meanwhile, the rescued victims have been handed over to the State government for medical examination and attention.”

When asked about the ransom payment, the PPRO said, ” we are not aware of it, we heard as a rumour.”

Meanwhile, the state governor Biodun Oyebanji who visited the victims at the hospital bed, commended President Bola Tinubu and the service chiefs for their supports in rescuing the victims from the kidnappers.

Oyebanji assured the people of the state and the parents that the perpetrators would soon be arrested and brought to book, adding that security agencies are closing on them.

The Governor said he remained committed to the security of lives and property of citizens of the state and would continue to collaborate with relevant security agencies and the traditional institution in the war against criminals.

According to him, “ We thank God for their safe return. I am excited and I give glory to God. I also thank President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his swift response and for giving specific directives. His intervention made the difference and I am thankful to him on behalf of Ekiti people. I am also thankful to the security chiefs for their support. They all put resources together and mobilized men and materials to ensure we rescue the children. All I can say is that we shall go after the criminals and we shall get them.”

Expressing his condolences over the death of the bus driver of the abducted pupils, the Governor said government will not leave any stone unturned in the bid to apprehend the criminals as well as those involved in the killing of our two traditional rulers.

“It is very sad. My condolences to the family. I have directed the Deputy Governor to pay a visit to the family and to the Elemure to commiserate with them. But what I can assure Ekiti people is that we will go after the criminals,” he said.

Credit: Nigeria cable news