Gunmen Demand N100m Ransom for 9 Kidnapped Ekiti School Children

• Four students and five staff members were kidnapped by unknown gunmen from a school bus in Ekiti state
• The insurgents demanded N100m ransom before they would release the hostages
• The abductors initially requested N10 million for each victim but rescinded that later

Gunmen have kidnapped five pupils and four staff members of Apostolic Faith Group of Schools, Emure Ekiti, and have asked for N100m ransom to set them free.

The abduction took place on Monday, January 29, when the armed men in the Emure community ambushed the school bus.

This is the latest incident in the wave of kidnappings that has been plaguing the country despite the efforts of the security agencies.

On the same day, two Ekiti monarchs were killed, and another one escaped narrowly from the kidnappers who attacked them on the highway, Premium Times reported.

President Tinubu condemned the attack on the monarchs and assured that the perpetrators would be found and brought to book.

The principal of the secondary section of the school, Boje Olanireti, confirmed the ransom demand in an interview with the PUNCH on Tuesday.

She said the kidnappers first contacted the husband of one of the teachers and asked for N10m for each victim but later increased the amount to N100m for all of them when they spoke to the headmaster.

Gunmen ambush school bus in Ekiti

She also gave details of how the abduction happened. She said the school bus was carrying more than 25 pupils when the gunmen shot the tyre and ordered them to get out and lie down.

She said:

“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.”

They then selected five pupils and four staff members and left the others behind. The pupils included two from the secondary school and three from the primary school, while the staff included two teachers, one driver and one bus assistant.

She said the incident occurred about a five-minute drive from the school, which is located in a suburb of Emure village.

She said the people nearby heard the gunshots and came to the school with motorcycles to inform them. She said they reported the incident to the police station at Emure immediately.

She said the parents of the abducted pupils came from Eporo and have been trying to get help from the police and Amotekun, a regional security outfit. She said the security operatives have also been in touch with the proprietor of the primary school, who has been providing them with information.

Couple stage fake kidnap to extort N5m from relatives

Meanwhile, Legit.ng has earlier reported a couple who deliberately staged their kidnapping in order to extort money from unsuspecting relatives and loved ones.

The couple revealed that they wanted to use the money to procure properties in Lagos. As they did not receive help from family members, they resorted to illegal acts.

The Nigerian police have warned the public against the growing trend of self-abduction in the country.

The paramilitary force stated that the act clearly violated the Nigerian constitution and is punishable in a court of law.

Source: Legit.ng