ONDO STATE, July 24, 2024 – Five Ondo State corps members who were kidnapped last week have been released after their families paid a total ransom of N5 million to their abductors.
The victims, which include four corps members and one artisan, were abducted around 11 pm on Thursday, July 18th, while traveling back home from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp in Enugu and Abia states. The incident occurred at Omi Alafa Village in Ifon, Ose Local Government Area.
According to one of the freed corps members, Patience Andrew, the kidnappers initially demanded a ransom of N30 million per person but later negotiated the amount down to N1 million per victim. The families of the five victims collectively paid the N5 million ransom to secure their release on Monday.
“The experience was horrible and hellish,” Andrew said. “We were beaten and only given garri and dirty water to drink once a day.”
The kidnappers also killed the driver of the vehicle and one female passenger sitting in the front. Another male passenger was reportedly stabbed but managed to escape.
Ondo State Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Funmilayo Odunlami, confirmed that the victims were abandoned by the assailants after police mounted pressure on them. The police subsequently found and rescued the corps members, taking them to the Police Medical Services in Owo before reuniting them with their families.
This latest kidnapping incident has once again highlighted the security challenges faced by travelers in parts of Ondo State. Authorities have vowed to intensify efforts to apprehend the perpetrators and improve safety along major highways in the region.
