Kidnapped 13 Female Adults, 1kid
The abductors who attacked worshippers at Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) Number Two, Eda-Oniyo Ekiti, headquarters of Ilejemeje Local Government Area of Ekiti State, have demanded a ransom of N1 billion for the release of their victims.
The gunmen, who struck on Tuesday evening, reportedly contacted families of the abducted persons using the victims’ mobile phones, demanding the huge sum for the release of thirteen women and one child currently in their custody.
Sources said the kidnappers promised to establish further contact with the families to negotiate the ransom.
Confirming the development in a telephone interview with Radio Nigeria, the Chairman of Ilejemeje Local Government, Mr Pius Alaba, disclosed that a family of four, comprising a mother and her children, was among those abducted; adding that the only male among the victims is a young boy.
Mr Alaba noted that efforts were ongoing, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, to gather more information from the kidnappers, who had indicated willingness to reopen communication.
Meanwhile, the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Mr Adegoroye Falade, alongside the Special Adviser to the State Government on Security, retired Brigadier General Ebenezer Ogundana, has visited the affected community and assured residents that security agencies are intensifying efforts to secure the safe release of the victims.
In a statement issued in Ado Ekiti, the Commissioner of Police called on residents to cooperate with security agencies by providing timely and credible information, particularly regarding suspicious movements within their communities.
It would be recalled that the gunmen invaded Eda-Oniyo community during a church programme on Tuesday, killing a visiting pastor and injuring several worshippers.
The incident has plunged the community into mourning, with palpable fear spreading across the seven towns that make up Ilejemeje Local Government Area.
