• Grab them inside farm, while serving as labourers to ‘survive’

• Kidnappers demand N15m ransom

By Ayodele Popoola

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Unknown gunmen have kidnapped a farmer, Ismaila Ojapa  and a labourer in the Oke Oge area, near Oba-Ile, Akure North Local Government area, Ondo State.

The duo were abducted on Saturday evening while returning from a farm not far from Akure Airport.

The victims were also said to be students of the Federal College of Agriculture, Akure, (FECA).

Confirming the kidnapping incident on Sunday, the Ondo State commander of Amotekun Corps, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, assured that security operatives had been deployed to secure their release.

Adeleye stated: “I can confirm to you that we are on top of the situation.

“They were kidnapped while returning from the farm. Our men have been deployed to rescue them from the kidnappers’ den.”

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the state command, Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami, also confirmed the incident while speaking with our correspondent on the incident.

Odunlami said operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the command have been deployed to the area for possible rescue.

Meanwhile, the abductors are demanding a ransom of N15 million from the victims’ families.

A family source confirmed that the kidnappers had contacted the families.

Recall that seven people were on Tuesday kidnapped along the Benin-Owo-Akure road at the Ifon area of Ose Local Government area of the state.

The police confirmed that the victims were travelling from Akwa Ibom State to the South-West before they were kidnapped by the bandits last Friday night.

She said: “The incident happened on January 31 at about 12 am and seven travellers were involved. They were coming from Akwa Ibom State on a commercial bus.

In the same vein, a source, however, gave another number of victims that 10 travellers were abducted along the Benin-Owo-Ipele Expressway by the gunmen.

The source said, “There were 10 of them (victims), they were kidnapped on the Owo-Ipele road on Saturday morning at about midnight. Their vehicles were stopped and they were dragged into the bush to an unknown destination.”

Similarly, the Ondo Amotekun Corps, said the corps had earlier arrested no fewer than 27 suspected criminals at different locations in the state.

 The state commander, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, said 24 of the suspects were involved in various criminal activities, and breaches of law and order across the state.

According to him, some of the suspects are Akpan, Alimi, and Emmanuel—who were arrested in Akure, Emure, and Ipeme-Owo, respectively. He also mentioned Adu Ojo, who specialised in ATM fraud, a serial rapist, Ayodele Ijilakinro. Mafo and Asara were arrested for conspiracy and rape while Idris Umaru was caught illegally grazing on a farmer’s land, using underage herders.

The Ondo Amotekun boss, however, noted that despite the arrests, the state remained relatively peaceful.

“Notably, there have been no recorded violations of existing laws, no crisis related to land or chieftaincy disputes, and no labour union conflicts.

“Similarly, there are no reported incidents of human trafficking, student unrest, militancy, or religious clashes. However, one case of farmer-herder conflict was recorded, and three individuals were arrested for suspected kidnapping,” Adeleye confirmed.