Eko Hot Blog reports In the wake of the harrowing abduction of pupils and staff from the Apostolic Faith Group of Schools in Emure Ekiti, Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, reassured parents and families that swift efforts are underway to secure the release of the victims.
This assurance comes as the abductors rejected a N7 million ransom, demanding the full N15 million instead.
The assailants attacked a bus on Monday, kidnapping nine occupants, including schoolchildren and staff, and fleeing to an unknown location in the forest.
Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Special Interest Groups, Princess Toyin Agbaje-Malomo, conveyed the governor’s commitment during a visit to the distressed families in Emure Ekiti.
Addressing the gathered parents and families, Agbaje-Malomo stated, “You are not alone; we are together in it. Governor Biodun Oyebanji is assiduously working on it so that our people in captivity will be rescued to rejoin families and loved ones.”
Four families were present during the occasion, sharing their anxieties and the kidnappers’ demand for a N15 million ransom.
Mrs. Dorcas Ojo, a grandmother with three children among the abducted, revealed the kidnappers’ insistence on the full amount, rejecting the N7 million gathered by the families.
Pastor Clement Adebisi, whose wife was kidnapped, explained, “We see what the government is doing; we saw the helicopter on aerial surveillance on Friday.” He pleaded for assistance, emphasizing the kidnappers’ vow not to release the captives until the ransom reaches N15 million.
Distraught father Oluwadare Oniya echoed the urgency, “We plead with the government to help us today so that these people can rejoin us today.” He expressed concern for his nine-year-old child and the dire conditions reported by the abductees.
Chairman of Emure Local Government Area, Adedayo Adedigbo, assured the families that the combined efforts of the state government, the Emure community, and security agencies are focused on the swift rescue of those in the kidnappers’ den.
Ekiti State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, Sunday Abutu, confirmed intensified operations, stating, “Both overt and covert operations to rescue the kidnapped schoolchildren have been intensified.”
The police force’s Airwing and Intelligence Response Team have been deployed to augment the ongoing efforts.
As the ordeal continues, parents and authorities alike are rallying for support, emphasizing the urgency of the situation and the need for collaborative efforts to ensure the safe return of the abducted pupils and staff.
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