Kidnappers seize ransom bearers, jerk up demand to N100m for Ekiti abductees

Gunmen who abducted five women in Erinmope-Ekiti, Moba Local Government Area of Ekiti State, have detained two family members who delivered a N10m ransom, insisting on N100m for the release of all captives.

The five women were abducted on January 24, 2026, when armed men stormed the community, seizing a nursing mother, a woman nine months pregnant, and three others.

The kidnappers were said to have initially demanded N100m but later agreed to accept N10m after negotiations with the victims’ families.

Speaking on Monday, the family head, Alhaji Saliu Okanlawon, said the ransom was delivered last Friday at Orun-Ago in Omu-Aran, Kwara State.

He said the gunmen, however, reneged on the agreement and detained the two family members who brought the money, later moving them to Idofin in Oke-Ero Local Government Area.

Okanlawon described the development as devastating, saying the family had struggled to raise the N10m in the hope that the women would be released. He added that the abductors now insist on receiving the full N100m before releasing the seven captives.

The victims were identified as Kehinde Mahmud, Adijat Hussein, Hawawu Suleiman, Fatima, another Fatima, as well as Ibrahim Soliu and Mohammad Soliu.

Appealing for help, Okanlawon called on the Ekiti State Government and other stakeholders to intervene, expressing concern over the health and safety of the pregnant victim.