EKITI: Kidnappers Demand N100m To Free Five Pupils, Teachers, School Bus Driver

…As Security Operatives Arrest Five Suspects

Anxiety has gripped parents after the gunmen who abducted five pupils, three teachers, driver and bus assistant of Apostolic Faith Group of Schools, Emure Ekiti, demanded N100 million ransom.

The gunmen kidnapped the victims on Monday evening along Eporo road, which is 5 minutes drive from the school.

They demanded N10 million ransom per victim.

This comes after gunmen killed two monarchs – Onimojo of Imojo, Oba Olatunde Olusola, and the Elesun of Esun Ekiti, Oba Babatunde Ogunsakin on Monday. The Alara of Ara Ekiti, Oba Adebayo Fatoba, narrowly escaped.

According to the principal of the secondary section, Boje Olanireti, the kidnappers contacted the school to demand N100m for the 10 kidnapped victims.

Olanireti said the abduction occurred around 4pm when the victims were going home to Eporo. She noted the school is in the suburb of Emure village.

The kidnapped school children include 2 from secondary school and 3 from primary school, while the staff are 2 teachers, 1 driver and 1 bus assistant.

According to her, “When the gunmen attacked, the people around heard the gunshots and they came to Emure with motorcycles to inform the people in the school about what happened. We immediately reported to the police station at Emure.

“The students were over 25 on the bus when the incident happened. When the gunmen attacked them, they shot the tyre of the vehicle and asked the children to come out of the bus. They asked all of them to lie down. They picked five students and four staff members. They, after that, asked others to go.”

She continued “The five students comprise two from the secondary (school) and three from primary school while the four staff comprise two teachers, one driver and one bus assistant.

“When the parents heard about the incident, they came from Eporo and they have been making frantic efforts by reaching out to some security outfits, including the police and Amotekun.’’

“The security operatives have also been talking to the proprietor of the primary school and he has been giving them information. By the time they opened communication, they first called the husband of one of the teachers and demanded N10m for each kidnapped victim. But when they later called the headmaster, they demanded N100m for all of them.”

Police spokesperson Sunday Abutu said security forces including police, army, Amotekun, NSCDC and hunters have arrested 5 suspects – Usman Jelili, Mohammed Bande, Abubakar Aliu, Suleiman Abdulah and Isah Abdullahi. Two motorcycles, a cutlass, dagger and 4 phones were recovered from them.

The Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, urged residents not to despair as efforts were underway to rescue the victims. He promised legislative measures to enhance policing of all communities in the state.

“As a follow up to this, Mr President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was on a long call with me yesterday, to commiserate with the State and to give a firm assurance that everything will be done to ensure such a dastardly act never repeats itself. He is mobilizing security resources to help in bringing the killers to book and in rescuing the abducted children and their teachers. I am very thankful to the President for his solidarity and support at this time. I have also visited the concerned communities and the Chairman of the Traditional Council to commiserate and also reassure them of the Government’s strong resolve to confront this ugly trend,” the governor stated.

The Chairman of the Joint Security Committee of Ise, Emure and Ikere, Tunji Falana blamed porous boundaries for the incident, saying “The boundaries are too porous. We have been appealing to the government to establish police posts and army checkpoints at the borders.

“This is not the first time kidnappers would kidnap people there. The place is porous. But in this kidnap case, the Kabiyesi, the Elemure of Emure Ekiti, Oba Emmanuel Adebayo, a former commissioner of police, is working round the clock to ensure the release of the abductees.”