Efforts of the security agencies in Ekiti appear to be yielding results as a combined team of Police, NSCDC, Amotekun, OPC and local hunters smoked out five men susoected to be kidnappers from thgeir hideout in the Iju/Ikere boundary forest. Meanwhile the abductors of school pupils, their teacher and school bus driver have reached out to demand for a ransom of N100m from the school.
According to security report, the five men arrested in the forest claimed to be hereders but when they were arrested, there was no cattle with them. Their names were given as Usman Jelili, Mohammed Bande, Abubakar Aliu, Isah Abdulahi and Suleiman Abdulahi.
The Police Public Relations Office however clarified that it is not yet certain if those arrested men hjave anything to do with the recent kilings of two traditional rulers in Ekiti or the school kidnap. It said investigation is still ongoing.
The News Agency of Nigeria quoted the police source as saying: ”In a bid to flush out criminal elements, especially kidnappers out of the state, a combined team of the Police, NSCDC, Amotekun, OPC and local hunters embarked on a bush combing operation through Oke-Osun, Ikere/Igbo-Okah, to the thick forest around Iju/Ikere boundary.
“During the Operation, five suspected kidnappers – Usman Jelili, Mohammed Bande, Abubakar Aliu, Isah Abdulahi and Suleiman Abdulahi, were arrested.
“The following items were found with them in the forest – two motorcycles, one cutlass, one jack knife/ dagger and four mobile phones.” the security source said.
Meanwhile the kidnappers of school pupils, teachers and their bus driver have sent out a message demanding for a ransom of N100m. Recall that the nine persons were kidnapped by gunmen on Monday.
A family source claimed the abductors “…called the family of one of the school children and they are requesting N10m per victim. What we gathered is that there are nine persons kidnapped – five schoolchildren, two teachers, one bus assistant, and a driver.
“The parents are at Eporo. The bus was taking them home after closing. It was in the process that the kidnappers struck. None of the families of the abductees can afford the ransom.’’
