The kidnappers of five pupils and four staff members from Apostolic Faith Group of Schools in Emure Ekiti have reportedly demanded a ransom of N100 million for the release of the nine victims. Boje Olanireti, the principal of the secondary section of the school, confirmed the ransom demand in an interview with The PUNCH on Tuesday.
The alarming trend of abductions persists, challenging the efforts of security agencies, with daily occurrences recorded in various parts of the country. On Monday, the situation escalated as gunmen targeted and killed two Ekiti monarchs: the Onimojo of Imojo, Oba Olatunde Olusola, and the Elesun of Esun Ekiti, Oba Babatunde Ogunsakin. Meanwhile, the Alara of Ara Ekiti, Oba Adebayo Fatoba, narrowly escaped an abduction attempt.
The unfortunate incident involving the abduction of the schoolchildren and four staff members occurred as the traditional rulers were returning from an event in Kogi State. Their vehicles encountered suspected kidnappers operating on the highway between Ipao and Oke Ako in the Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State.
Simultaneously, the school bus, carrying 25 pupils home after school hours, was ambushed by gunmen in the Emure community, leading to the abduction of the children and staff members.
