Ondo: gunmen kidnap three and want N40 million in ransom

Three residents of the Ikaram Akoko neighborhood in Ondo state were abducted by masked men who are holding them captive till they pay a ransom of N40 million.

Ayere, a nearby town between Kogi and Ondo states, is where the three people were abducted as they traveled from Kogi state to Ondo for a social event.

GIOTV learned that the gunmen took the victims to a nearby bush after kidnapping them.

A few hours later, they allegedly establish contact with their family members and demand N40 million in ransom before being freed.

Sources inside the victims’ families claimed that talks were taking place to persuade the kidnappers to reduce the ransom.Speaking about the incident, Funmi Odunlami, a spokeswoman for the state police command, indicated that Kogi State, not her domain, was where it took place.

Recall that two people were kidnapped by gunmen last week while going home on the Okene/Kabba road: a salesman and his chauffeur.

According to reports, the victims were kidnapped as they traveled back to Ogbagi Akoko after selling soft drinks in Okene.

They were later freed after paying the gunmen N2 million, which was less than the N10 million sought by their captors.Speaking on the spate of insecurity in the Northern Senatorial district area of the state, the Akala of Ikaram, Oba Andrew Momodu, has warned travellers plying the Ajowa/Ayere/kabba and Ikaram Akunu to Ayere roads to be security conscious and avoid late hour journey, as the criminal elements are lurking inside the forests.

Oba Momodu appealed for serious joint efforts by security agents, vigilantes and local hunters, in both Ondo and Kogi states, to reduce the crime rate in the border towns, particularly, kidnapping.