Gunmen have kidnapped some travellers in Emure-Ile in Emure Local Government Area of Ekiti.
The incident occurred on Sunday night when a bus conveying the travellers, who were returning from Onitsha, Anambra state to Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti state capital, was ambushed by the daredevil attackers.
A source at the Road Transport Employer Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) Ado-Ekiti Motor Terminal branch confirmed the incident, stating that the driver, Mr. Sunday Emmanuel, was kidnapped alongside the passengers.
The source revealed that the kidnappers had contacted the driver’s family, demanding a whopping sum of N30 million ransom for each of the passengers.
According to the source, “They drove the bus into the bush and dragged people inside the bush.”
The source also said, “They called the family of the driver and I pleaded to speak with the driver and after our conversation, they demanded a ransom of N30 million. They said they would call back, but they have not done so yet.”
Additionally, the source mentioned that “They left some children on the bus, and it seems that some people to the farm saw the kids and alerted the police in Emure-Owo. The driver’s union in Ado-Ekiti is currently holding a meeting on how to reach out to the kidnappers”.
The kidnappers abandoned some children in the bus, whose cries attracted the attention of passersby in the early hours of Monday, before it was reported to the nearest police station. The source added that two of the kidnapped victims escaped while they were being herded into the bush.
Efforts to get the Ekiti police command’s comment were not successful, as calls to the telephone line of the Police Public Relations Officer, Sunday Abutu, rang out. The driver’s union in Ado-Ekiti is currently holding a meeting on how to reach out to the kidnappers.
The incident has raised concerns about the safety of travellers in the area, and the police are urged to take immediate action to rescue the kidnapped victims and bring the perpetrators to justice.
