At least 11 people including an 11-year-old boy, kidnapped
across Ekiti State in the last three weeks were at the early
hours of Saturday released by their captors.
They included a lecturer at Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti,
Dr. Folasade Alade; a lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo
University, Ile-Ife, Dr. Femi Omisore; wife of a former Chief
Medical Director of EKSUTH, Dr. Kikelomo Adegun, and a
nurse with the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti, Margret
Aladeneka.
Others were Biliaminu Abiola, Mrs. Lydia Agnes and her
daughter, Mrs. Foluke Abiola, Mrs. Yemi Abiola, Mrs. Funmi
Ogunlola, Mrs. Folake Adeniyi and Jimi Johnson.
Governor Ayodele Fayose refused to answer on Saturday if
ransoms were paid to secure the release of the victims.
But a family member of one of the victims said they were
released after their families had paid some undisclosed
amount of money demanded by their abductors.
She said the freed abductees were dropped at a bush in the
Esure-Ekiti area of the state.
Some of the victims have been taken to hospitals for
treatment by their families after the Police arrived in the
town.
Another account said the victims were rescued by vigilantes
at Esure-Ekiti, who later took them to the palace of the
Elesure of Esure-Ekiti, Oba Adebanji Ajibola.
The traditional ruler of the town, Oba Adebanji Ajibola, said
local hunters had located the kidnappers’ den through a tip off
from a woman, who complained that she saw a suspected
armed man in the bush.
Oba Ajibola said, “Vigilance group located the hideouts of the
kidnappers and they ran away. But we were able to rescue 11
of the victims and I asked the group to bring them to my
palace. Once they got to my palace we took their names and
they were all rescued alive.
“We found the kidnap victims in the thick bush of Esure and
Ika, Irasa and Ado roads. We started the rescue assignment
since last week. The chiefs and I decided to use the local
vigilance group to arrest the kidnappers.
“The government said they were sending heavily armed
security operatives to invade the bush but I advised against
that, saying that they should allow us to use my men first,
who would first of all comb the bush and once they have a
clue of anything, we would then ask the police to swing into
action.”
The traditional ruler said the community and the police were
on the trail of a man identified as Olumide, an indigene of
Esure Ekiti and a certain man who had worked for sometime in
this town for allegedly serving as accomplices to the
kidnappers.