 |
|
Ekiti
State Governor, Ayodele Fayose
|
No fewer than 11 persons, 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.
The Punch report continues:
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.
Fayose,
who briefed journalists on the breakthrough in company with the Commissioner of
Police, Mr. Etop James, and the Director of the State Security Service, Mr.
Duke Fubara, appealed to security agencies to provide personnel to take the
victims to their families.
No comments:
Post a Comment