Gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen have kidnapped a pregnant woman and two others in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, demanding a ransom of N30 million.
Intelligence gathered that the three persons were kidnapped on Sunday evening along Igbo-Ora-Sokoto road in Abeokuta North Local Government Area of Ogun State.
It was further gathered that the victims paid a visit to their friend who resides at Rounda area of Abeokuta, the state capital when they were abducted.
A source informed that the kidnappers laid an ambush for three persons in an area known as Karigo, adding that the pregnant woman is in her eighth month.
According to the source, the herdsmen on Tuesday contacted families of the victims asking them to pay N10 million each for their release. It was said that two other persons on the trip escaped when the kidnappers accosted them.
The source said, “We got information that at the abattoir in Rounda that kidnappers abducted three persons”.
“The kidnappers did not call immediately but they called on Tuesday, asking for N10 million on each victim as ransom. There is a pregnant woman among them, who would soon give birth”.
While narrating the incident, the source said they were five that embarked on the short trip but, two persons escaped from the kidnappers while the remaining three were unlucky and were abducted by the gunmen.
The source added, “the victims parked their car because of the bad condition of the road, but while trekking, they were ambushed by their kidnappers”.
“The abductees were two women and one man, identified as Baba Sandra”.
“One of them is a thrift collector in the market here (Itoku market ); one is a civil servant but we don’t know where the other person works,” the source added.
“The husband of the pregnant woman was one of the two persons that escaped being kidnapped”.
When contacted, the Ogun State Police Command spokesperson, Abimbola Oyeyemi confirmed the incident.
Oyeyemi however said the victims had organised a prayer session in the forest where they were captured.
He said, “since that very day, our people have been on their trail. In fact, while I was discussing with the Officer in charge, they were still in the bush in that area trying to get all those people released unhurt “.
“Our tactical team has been trying to get in touch and rescue the victims”.
He added, “our people should also be careful, they should stop organising prayers inside the forest”.
“I want also advise our people that if they are on a journey and their car breaks down in an isolated area, they should leave the place immediately and go to the nearest police station in the area to inform them, so that police will come and stay with them pending the time the vehicle is repaired”, Oyeyemi said.
Credit: Vanguard
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