Gunmen demand N5m ransom from family, friends of kidnap victim

Suspected gunmen who abducted one Felix Akinde on Akure-Ikere road have demanded the ransom of N5 million. Akinde was abducted on Tuesday at a bad portion of a road close to the NYSC farm in Iju/Ita-ogbulu in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State.

The victim was travelling from Ikere through Akure when he was seized by suspected gunmen. The driver, who was driving alone in his Toyota Privia space vehicle, was waylaid and seized at about 5:00a.m. on the road.

The gunmen abandoned the vehicle by the roadside, while they marched the victim who is a member of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Ikere-Ekiti to the forest. Motorists travelling on the same route immediately reported the case to the police who consequently moved the car to the Iju Divisional Police Station.

It was learnt that the abductors yesterday established contact with the family and leaders of NURTW in the state for the ransom. Sources said men of the Anti Kidnapping Squad of the 32 Artilery Brigade of the Nigeria Army, Owena Barracks in Akure in collaboration with other security agencies have launched a manhunt for the abductors in Iju forest.

A family source, who pleaded not to be named, said that the kidnappers contacted the families through their telephone lines. He explained that they were demanding a ransom of N5 million before they could set the driver free.

He said: “The kidnappers contacted us. They said he (driver) is in the bush with them and would only free him when we are ready to cooperate on the ransom. As I speak with you, they have already used two different telephone line to contact us demanding to know how much we have been able to raise.

“Although, we have met with family members and including some of his friends in the NURTW to help us out in raising this money. The N5 million is just too much for us, and I don’t know where they want us to see such huge fund but we are still begging them,” he said.

The Police Public Relations Officers (PPRO) in Ondo, Femi Joseph, said the officers of the command have already swung into action and would soon arrest the perpetrators.

Meanwhile, two men are in police net for allegedly kidnapping a six-year-old boy in Toro local government area of Bauchi State and then demanding a ransom of N10 million before he could be released.

According to the spokesman of Bauchi State police command, Abubakar Kamal Datti, while parading the suspects alongside 84 other alleged criminals, the boy was kidnapped and taken to Social Welfare House in Toro for safety while demanding ransom from his parents.

Abubakar said on June 8, at 5:40p.m. “one Nasiru Sulaiman, aged 26 and Sani Abdullahi of Toro, conspired and kidnapped one Mohammed Sulaiman, a six-year-old boy in front of his house and took him to where they kept him in custody of one Hajiya Aisha Mato, a social welfare worker at Toro under the false claimed that the boy is Nasiru Sulaiman’s nephew.