Five abducted individuals have been rescued by the Ondo State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun, after spending four days in captivity. The victims were freed without the payment of the N150 million ransom demanded by their abductors.
The victims, who were reportedly kidnapped along the Benin-Lagos highway in Odigbo and Akoko South West local government areas, were rescued in separate operations carried out by Amotekun personnel following reports made by their families.
One of the victims, Ayo Adeyeye, narrated the ordeal at Amotekun’s office in Akure. He said he and his brother were returning from their farm around 6:30 pm when they were intercepted by four armed men. While his brother managed to escape, Adeyeye was captured and taken deep into the forest where he and other captives were held without food or water.
“We trekked all night and spent four days in harsh conditions. They kept demanding N100 million, but I told them my family couldn’t afford it,” Adeyeye said. He added that the kidnappers diverted their path after his brother escaped to avoid being traced, but Amotekun operatives searched multiple locations until they found and rescued them.
Another victim, Emmanuel Adeniran, who was abducted in the Akoko area, expressed gratitude to the security agency. He said the kidnappers had threatened to kill them if the ransom was not paid promptly, but they eventually fled when Amotekun closed in on their hideout.
Speaking to journalists, the state commander of Amotekun, Chief Adetunji Adeleye, confirmed that five victims were rescued in two separate operations across the state. Four were abducted on the Ore-Ijebu Ode/Lagos expressway, while one was rescued from Ifon forest five days after being taken from his residence along the Owo-Ikare road.
“The kidnappers had demanded N150 million in total, but our operatives were able to foil their plans without any ransom being paid,” Adeleye said.
He added that over 12 cases of armed robbery and kidnapping have been foiled in recent weeks, particularly along the Ondo-Ogun boundary, with special rangers now deployed to major forests and flashpoints across the state to combat rising criminal activity.
