No fewer than four persons have been kidnapped by about six gunmen along Obo Ayegunle/Osi road in Ekiti Local Government area of Kwara State.
It was reliably gathered that the victims were Sunday Balogun, a renowned automobile mechanic, his pregnant wife, Mary, his apprentice Taiye and his twin brother, Kehinde.
Speaking on the incident, a close member of the family, Mrs Laoye Seyifunmi, said that the kidnappers abandoned Sunday’s vehicle at the roadside after the incident.
Another close family source, who does not want his name in print, told our reporter that the kidnappers have contacted the family demanding for N10 million ransom.
“They have contacted the family, demanding for N10 million ransom. We have been able to negotiate it to N4 million.
“Although the family and community have been able to gather N2 million, they rejected it and directed that a Toyota Sienna in his workshop be sold to pay the ransom,” said the source.
Several calls and text message to the Police Pubic Relation Officers of the Kwara State Command, Ajayi Okasanmi, seeking his comments were neither answered nor replied on Thursday and Friday evenings.
However, a top security official at the police command confirmed the incident to our reporter, adding that the wife, Mary, has been freed.
“We still have Sunday and the twin brothers in the kidnappers den as we speak.
“But they (kidnapers) have since left the wife,” the source added.
Meanwhile, the state Public Relations Officer of NSCDC Mr Babawale Afolabi confirmed the incident on Friday morning.
“I’m aware of the development. I got the information from our office at that local government, but it’s still sketchy as we speak.
“I’m expecting the details this morning. I will let you know as soon as possible,” he said.