Gunmen have abducted five women in Erinmope-Ekiti, Moba Local Government Area of Ekiti State, and are demanding a ransom of ₦100million for their release.
It was learnt that the incident occurred on Saturday evening when the assailants reportedly stormed the residence of the victims and whisked them away at gunpoint.
Narrating the ordeal, Head of the family, Muhammad Saliu Okanlawon, known as Elebenla, said the gunmen arrived at their home around 7pm, shooting sporadically, while the male members of the household were away at the mosque.
Okanlawon said those abducted were wives and children of his younger brother and son, identifying the five victims as Kehinde Mahmud, Adijat Hussein, Hawawu Suleiman, Fatima, and another Fatima.
He added that one of the victims was heavily pregnant, while another was a nursing mother.
According to him, the family only realised what had happened after returning from the mosque to discover that five female members of the household were missing.
He said security agencies were alerted and a team of the police, Civil Defence, Amotekun and other operatives mobilised to trail the abductors but could not apprehend them.
“The area commander also came around, but we later learnt that the kidnappers did not follow their usual route through Osin in Kwara State. We believe they mixed with people in the community to conceal their identities,” he said.
Okanlawon said that the abductors had contacted the family once to demand a ₦100 million ransom and had since gone silent.
He appealed to the state government to intervene, describing the situation as distressing, especially with a nine-month pregnant woman among the abductees.
He noted that the incident was strange, as the family had lived peacefully in the community for over 70 years, despite originating from Kwara State, adding that raising such an amount for ransom was impossible.
The family appealed to security agencies and government authorities to intensify efforts to rescue the victims and secure their safe return.
Credit: thenationonlineng.net
