Gunmen struck along Oke Ako–Irele Road in Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State on Wednesday evening and allegedly whisked away no fewer than four persons.
Sources alleged that the incident which occurred at about 7.30pm involved occupants of two vehicles, a commercial car and a mini-truck, waylaid at a bad portion of the road.
A source at Oke Ako alleged that the driver, a native of the neighbouring Ipao-Ekiti and a passenger were abducted in the commercial vehicle while the driver and his assistant were taken away in the mini-truck, which he said was conveying charcoal.
Other sources, however, said they could not ascertain the exact number of the victims whether lower or higher than four.
A community source at Oke Ako said, “We were in a meeting at about 8pm on Wednesday when we got information that there were two vehicles with doors opened and the headlights were on on the road, but that there was nobody in the vehicles.
“On getting there, we saw a commercial vehicle and a mini-truck. But before we got there, the occupants of the two vehicles had been abducted by the kidnappers. The abductors had been calling since Wednesday night requesting N20million as a ransom for the victims
“In the course of the phone call from the den, we got to know the victims are four and that the passenger boarded the commercial vehicle at Irele Ekiti and heading to Ayedun Ekiti.
“The commercial car driver said he did not know where they were in the bush but that all he knew was that they were near a river as they could hear sounds of a flowing river. However, men of the Police Rapid Response Squad, Ametekun Corps, and local hunters have been combing the bush to rescue them. It is our prayer that they get them hale and hearty.”
Another source, who said that the kidnappers were requesting N20m ransom, added that the communities in Ekamefa comprising Irele, Ijowa, Oke Ako, Ipao, Itapaji and Iyemero were living in fear of the kidnappers, who he said had surrounded the area.
The spokesperson for Ekamefa, Oluwafemi Abayomi, said, “Insecurity is a big problem in our area here. Our people are not safe, nobody can go to the farm again without being kidnapped.
“We, Ekamefa, call on the state and federal governments to help us, we are helpless in the hands of the gunmen. There are soldiers at Ipao, there are soldiers at Oke Ako. This kidnap incident happened around there, we need help,” Abayomi said.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti State Command, Sunday Abutu, who confirmed the kidnap incident, however, said he was still expecting the detail.
Punch/Simeon Ugbodovon
pub-5160901092443552
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