Gunmen on Tuesday evening kidnapped eight persons in Itapaji-Ekiti, Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State.
It was learnt that the abductors had contacted one of the victims’ family members on Wednesday morning and demanded as ransom a sum of N50 million naira.
It would be recalled that four persons were kidnapped last Friday in Ayebode-Ekiti in the same council area.
According to an eyewitness, the gunmen, had stormed a house located in the town at about 9:30 in the evening, shot sporadically into the air that lasted for for more than one hour and eventually took away eight occupants of the building.
The eyewitness disclosed that the owner of the building was preparing for his mother’s burial and the preparations were said to have been on the top gear when the gunmen men struck.
“The men numbering seven came around 9.30pm with guns and surrounded the building. They fired gunshots sporadically.
“As the occupants of the house were coming out, they were grabbed and made to lie face down. They were later taken away into the bush. They were 14 initially, but six of them escaped into the bush.”
He added further: “Early today (Wednesday), one of the family members received a call from the abductors and demanded for a ransom of fifty million naira.”
The source identified that lack of police stations in Itapaji-Ayebode and Irele-Oke Ako axes was responsible for increasing cases of kidnapping in the area, saying the nearest police station is in Ikole Ekiti, which was over 40 minutes drive to the troubled spots.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti Command, Sunday Abutu, confirmed the incident.
Abutu said: “The Command is working on that. Already a special police operatives as well as the JTF have been deployed in that axis to ensure they rescue the victims and for possible arrest of the culprits.”
Credit” Daily Sun