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Families of 10 travellers abducted by suspected kidnappers in Ogun State are appealing for urgent intervention after the gunmen increased their ransom demand to ₦25 million.
The victims were reportedly seized on Tuesday evening at Ijebu Awa, a boundary community between Ogun and Oyo states, while travelling towards Ibadan.
One of those abducted is 24-year-old Olusoji Adedapo, a former National Youth Service Corps member who completed his national service in Edo State last week. He was returning to Ibadan when the attack occurred.
Adedapo’s cousin, Adeseye Timilehin, said the family learnt about the incident shortly after 7pm on Tuesday, following the escape of one of the passengers, identified as Tunde, who alerted relatives.
Timilehin said Adedapo had kept the family updated throughout his journey from Benin City until he sent a video showing traffic on the road. That communication later became the family’s last contact with him before the abduction.
According to him, the passengers had urged the driver to return to Benin City because it was already late, but he insisted on continuing the journey.
“They kept telling the driver that it was already late and that they should return to Benin and continue the journey the following day, but the driver insisted on going. By the time they got to Ijebu at about 7pm, they were attacked by the bandits,” he said.
Timilehin explained that the driver swerved into the bush and stopped when the gunmen appeared in front of their vehicle. The passengers fled, but the attackers captured the others while Tunde managed to escape.
The survivor reportedly contacted the family and was later rescued by police officers, who took him to a police station. He also told relatives that security operatives and local vigilantes had searched the surrounding forest for the abducted passengers, but the operation did not produce any breakthrough.
On Wednesday morning, Adedapo’s mother, aunt and a family friend travelled from Ibadan to Awa-Ijebu to seek information from the police. They were reportedly advised to return home and await contact from the kidnappers.
The family’s first contact with the abductors came as the relatives were returning to the motor park. The gunmen initially demanded ₦20 million and briefly allowed Adedapo to speak with his mother, confirming that he was alive.
However, the demand later increased to ₦25 million after the family returned to Ibadan. The kidnappers reportedly switched off the telephone number they used, leaving the relatives without further contact until Thursday morning.
Timilehin said the gunmen called Adedapo’s mother again and demanded to know whether the family had raised the money. They reportedly warned that failure to produce the ransom would mean the family had effectively surrendered him to their custody.
The abductors later allowed Adedapo to speak with his mother and cousin, urging them to seek financial assistance from friends and well-wishers.
Timilehin said Adedapo also called him directly, pleading with him to mobilise support. He told the victim that the family had been trying to raise the ransom but had yet to secure a substantial amount.
“I told him that we had only been able to raise ₦700,000. His voice was shaking throughout the conversation as he pleaded with me to contact everybody I could to help us raise the money,” he said.
The family said subsequent calls from the abductors had intensified their anxiety, particularly as they struggled to meet the demand. Timilehin appealed to Nigerians to assist in securing the release of Adedapo and the other victims.
Meanwhile, the Ogun State Police Command confirmed that it was investigating the abduction. Its Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaeyi Ogunnaike, said efforts were ongoing to establish the circumstances of the attack and secure the victims’ release.
