Tag: Ekiti

• Military personnel storm state to beef up security

Less than 12 hours after the soldiers deployed in Ekiti arrived the state, the operatives have arrested a suspected kidnapper, Salisu Dangani, after exchange of gunfire.

Items recovered from the suspect, which were paraded with him, included a Dane gun and double barrel pistol.

Special Adviser to Ekiti State Governor on Security Matters, Brig.-Gen. Ebenezer Ogundana (rtd), who addressed reporters yesterday, said the suspect was arrested in the forest along Ikere-Igbara Odo Road.

He said: “When the troops arrived in the morning, they promised to go into action immediately. After a meeting, they went to the notorious places, including the road between Ikere and Igbara Odo.

“They received information, they moved in there, and in the process they had an encounter with a group of kidnappers and they exchanged fire. In the process, they were able to arrest this suspect brought here, while the remaining escaped.

Read Also: Police arrest six suspected kidnappers in Abuja

“I told you we are in for business; these troops will be going out this night again for another operation. Residents should give us information. This is how the soldiers will be moving from one place to the other.

“This significant success will send message across to the criminals that it is not going to be business as usual. For anyone that is nabbed, he will be prosecuted according to the law.”

The deployment of the troops followed deliberations between Governor Biodun Oyebanji and service chiefs in Abuja, which was prompted by the recent violent incidents in the state, including the killing of two monarchs and the abduction of some schoolchildren and their teachers.

The troop commander, Brig.-Gen. John Lar, had on arrival, said the men and officers of the Army were on special mission to comb hideouts of criminals and bandits in the forests in the state.

As part of efforts to beef up security in Ekiti State, the first deployment of soldiers by the Nigerian Army headquarters arrived in Ado-Ekiti yesterday.

The military personnel converged on Fajuyi Pavillion, Ado-Ekiti, where they had a parade before departing to locations for the beginning of their operations.

The troop was received by Brig.-Gen. Ogundana (rtd).

Welcoming the soldiers, Ogundana assured them of the state government’s comprehensive preparation to support their mission and make their stay in the state worthwhile.

Brig.-Gen. Lar hailed the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen Taoreed Lagbaja, for deploying additional troops to support and strengthen military activities in the state, saying they were determined to expose bandits’ and criminals’ hideouts.

After enduring six harrowing days in the clutches of kidnappers, the pupils and staff of Apostolic Faith Group of Schools in Emure-Ekiti have finally regained their freedom. This hard-fought liberation came at the cost of a ransom payment to their captors. In this report, RASAQ IBRAHIM sheds light on their tumultuous journey to freedom, revealing the challenges they faced during this trying period.

For the parents of the abducted pupils and staff of Apostolic Faith Group of Schools in Emure, Ekiti State, January 29, 2024, will forever be etched in their minds. Far from an ordinary day on the calendar, it serves as a haunting reminder of the traumatic ordeal their loved ones endured at the hands of kidnappers. The day commenced like any other, with the familiar crowing of the cock heralding daylight in Eporo-Ekiti, where both pupils and teachers resided. Oblivious to the impending ordeal, they went about their morning routines, bidding their families farewell before heading to school.

As the school day concluded, they gathered at the park within the school premises, accompanied by the driver and a bus attendant, ready to embark on the journey back home. Little did they know that this routine trip would take a sinister turn. Tragically, the school bus, transporting the pupils and teachers, fell victim to an ambush along Emure-Eporo Road by armed assailants, as they returned to Eporo after the closing hour. Gunshots pierced the air as the attackers targeted the bus’s tires, forcing it to a halt. In the ensuing chaos, nine individuals, including five students, three female teachers, and the driver, were forcibly taken, leaving the bus abandoned on the roadside.

How the kidnap

victims were released 

Of the abducted, seven hailed from Eporo-Ekiti, comprising five pupils and two teachers, while the driver and attendant were residents of Emure-Ekiti. The incident, occurring on the same day as the fatal attack on two first-class monarchs, Onimojo of Imojo, Oba Olusola Olatunde, and Elesun of Esun-Ekiti, Oba Babatunde Ogunsakin, heightened fear in Emure, Eporo, and neighbouring communities. This incident wasn’t the first of its kind in the area, according to residents. Emure, where the school is situated, shares borders with Ondo state through Eporo-Ekiti and Supare Akoko, featuring countless porous routes surrounded by thick and expansive forests, creating an environment susceptible to criminal activities like kidnapping.

In the aftermath of the harrowing incident, a joint effort by security forces, including the police, Amotekun Corps, local hunters, and vigilante groups, swiftly mobilised to comb the surrounding forests in an urgent rescue mission. Despite their concerted efforts, no success was achieved in locating the abducted individuals.

Within 24 hours of the traumatic event, the perpetrators reached out to one of the parents, demanding a hefty ransom of N10 million for each of the nine captives held in their hideout. However, they later revised their demand to a total of N15 million for the release of all the abductees. In a chilling communication with the parents, the kidnappers emphasised the urgency of the payment, citing the deteriorating condition of the five children among the captives. One distressed parent revealed, “The kidnappers are insisting on N15 million. Everybody is worried, especially with their threat on Thursday that the families should not delay with the ransom, so that they would not kill the victims, adding that the children are already weak. The families had tasked themselves and there was contribution in Eporo, but the money gathered is still a far-cry. What is needed right now is support. I will, on behalf of the families and the hostages, especially the children, appeal to the federal and state governments and all well-meaning Nigerians to come to our aid so that they can be released.”

Shock, gloom

after happiness

In the early hours of Sunday, a bittersweet twist unfolded as the kidnappers released the five pupils and three teachers from their ordeal. Tragically, the driver, Taye Rasaki, did not share in this reprieve having fallen victim to the assailants’ bullets. This poignant moment brought a mix of relief and grief for the parents and relatives of the victims. While families of the pupils and teachers rejoiced in the euphoria of their loved ones’ freedom, the relatives of the driver grappled with the pain of his gruesome killing. An anonymous parent disclosed that the release came at a cost of N15 million, alongside provisions such as food, tramadol, milk, cigarettes, and hard drinks handed over to the bandits as ransom.

However, the Ekiti State Police spokesman, Sunday Abutu, dismissed the notion of ransom payment as “just a rumour,” saying “we are not aware.” Parents, overjoyed to reunite with their loved ones after the agonising six days in captivity, recounted the torturous journey to secure their release. One parent, preferring anonymity, disclosed the handover of N15 million ransom and other items in an expansive forest before the abductees were finally released. He said: “We had challenges locating them. When we first entered the forest, we spent about two hour without seeing the kidnappers. We had to go back and forth before we saw those who asked us to bring the money. They took us into the bush that was far from where we parked the motorcycle that we took there. We gave them what they demanded and they released the pupils and teachers to us.

“Nine persons were kidnapped, but eight persons were released; we didn’t see the ninth person. As they collected the money, they said we should run off. I cannot say specifically the location in the forest. It is between Ondo and Ekiti states. We entered around Ago Panu along Owo-Ikare Road in Ondo State and went deep into the expansive forest. When they released the victims to us, I embraced my family members. I thank God for the reunion, for surviving the torture and hunger. It was one of them who said that they shot the driver dead.”

On why the driver was killed, the parent said: “The children told us that they (kidnappers) asked for the phone number of relatives to call from each of them in the forest. The driver told them he didn’t know that of his wife and school proprietor off-hand. This made them angry and they hit him with their gun. For five days, he was writhing in pains from the injury sustained. On Saturday morning, he was shot dead and painfully, his body was burnt to ashes. It was a bitter and terrific experience for the little children especially looking at how the driver was killed.”

 Another parent of one of the freed pupils who could not hide her joy, said she was happy beyond description to have her three grandchildren back. She said, “My joy knows no bound. When I saw my children, we held one another in long embrace and we all wept especially when I saw the condition my children were in. They spent about a week in the forest. God was with us in our journey yesterday; I could see my children again.

“I went to the bush with the search party for the rescue. It was along Owo – Ikare Road in Ondo State. Initially, I didn’t want to go because of my leg, but on a second thought that my three grandchildren were involved, I chose to go. The kidnappers were calling persistently that we should hurry up. They said we should meet them at Ikare Junction. I wondered how  come Ikare junction when they took the children at Eporo? When we got to Ikare Junction, he said we should buy food, so we went to buy rice and meat. When we were about to get to Waterworks, he called that we should turn back, then the kidnapper described a road that only big vehicles could pass.

“We decided that all of us should not go there so that they would not think that we came with security agents that could make them injure the abductees with them. When we told them we were on the path, he said only two persons should come. He threatened to waste the kidnapped persons if more than two persons should come. Only two persons continued while the rest of us sat on the road there.

“The driver of the vehicle and one person continued far into the forest and drove back. So, they now used a motor bike to trace the kidnappers to drop the money and the food. On collecting the money, food and other items, he released the kidnapped pupils and their teachers. They used motor bike to bring the abductees to the road, it was then they called us to bring the vehicle to convey them. The kidnappers collected N15m. We the parents contributed N4m, people came to our aid by contributing. Even in the markets, they contributed so that they would be rescued,” she narrated.

A caring governor stepped in to provide support

In response to Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s directive, the Ekiti State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oyebanji Filani, has facilitated the transfer of the abductees to the State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH) in Ado Ekiti for comprehensive medical attention. Prof. Kayode Kayode Olabanji, the Chief Medical Director of EKSUTH, informed our reporter that thorough medical examinations have commenced on the eight victims to assess their health condition. Prof. Olabanji emphasised that the schoolchildren and their teachers are currently undergoing medical and therapeutic treatment to alleviate the psychological trauma resulting from the kidnapping experience. Despite the harrowing ordeal, he noted that the five pupils and their three teachers are clinically stable and are being cared for by a dedicated team of multidisciplinary medical professionals.

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He said, “Immediately we brought them in, they had been attended to by multi- disciplinary team of medical personnel. We brought in those psychologists who could work on them to allay their fears. They were given the initial resuscitation including rehydration, they were given fluids, some who needed oxygen were given oxygen. After they had stabilized a bit, they were even given food too, now, they are much better, we will still carry out few investigations to fully appraise their situation. But I can say with confidence that they are clinically stable and we don’t foresee any untoward eventuality,” he added

Governor Oyebanji visited EKSUTH to meet the victims and praised their resilience. He urged the medical team not to rush their discharge, emphasising thorough management due to their trauma. He thanked President Bola Tinubu for his swift response and specific directives, along with the security chiefs for their support in rescuing the children, and vowed to pursue the criminals relentlessly. Oyebanji expressed condolence over the death of the school bus driver, Mr Taye Rasaki, assuring that the government would apprehend the criminals as well as the killers of the two traditional rulers. He said, “It is very sad, my condolences to the family. I have directed the deputy governor to pay a visit to the family and to the Elemure of Emure Ekiti to commiserate with them. But what I can assure Ekiti people is that we will go after the criminals.”

Ekiti State Commissioner for Education, Dr. ‘Bimpe Aderiye, has expressed joy about the release of pupils and teachers of Apostolic Faith Nursery and Primary School, Emure Ekiti.

Aderiye, who visited the victims at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), where they are receiving treatment, felicitated them on their safe return to their families and friends.

She was accompanied by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr. Folakemi Olomojobi.

Read Also: ‘Driver shot dead, body burnt before abducted Ekiti pupils’

Aderiye said being taken suddenly away from their comfort zones must be very traumatic, and prayed to God against recurrence of such incident in the state.

After interacting with the pupils and teachers on how they have been fairing since treatment began, the commissioner gave them beverages to aid their recovery and wished them soonest recovery.

• It’s darkest moment of my life, says teacher whose wife, son were kidnapped

On Monday January 29, 2024, Gunmen kidnapped five pupils and four staff members of Apostolic Faith Primary and Secondary School, Emure-Ekiti, the headquarters of Emure Local Government on Monday. The incident has caused untold anxiety within and outside the once bubbling community, particularly as there were no words yet from their abductors, RASAQ IBRAHIM reports

Since April 14, 2014, when 276 students of the Federal Government Girls College Chibok, Borno State were abducted by the deadly Boko Haram sect, school children have become soft targets of kidnappers.

The dare-devil attackers have since carried out midnight assaults on several government-owned boarding schools, killing staff members who dared resist and even executing some students to fulfill their evil mission and drive home their demands. Since then, there has been similar abduction of pupils and students in primary and secondary schools as well as tertiary institutions in Borno, Yobe and Kaduna states, to mention a few.

The development has since turned pupils and students into an endangered species. And in spite of global and local condemnations, the ugly trend has continued unabated, forcing some state governments to shut down some schools.

While some students have died from these attacks, others who were left off the hook after payment of ransoms are yet to fully recover from the trauma.

The latest onslaught was the abduction of six pupils as well as some teachers and bus drivers of Apostolic Faith Group of Schools, Emure Ekiti, The incident occurred around 3:55 pm on Monday when the 18-seater school bus conveying 25 pupils from school to Eporo, a suburb of Emure after school hours was waylaid by gunmen at a bad section of the road at Akeye, who whisked their victims into the forest.

Hours after the incident, security agents comprising the police, the Amotekun Corps and some local hunters swung into action and combed the forests in a bid to rescue the abducted pupils and officials.

While seven of the abductees comprising five pupils and two teachers hail from Eporo-Ekiti, the bus driver and the attendant come from Emure-Ekiti.

Founded in September, 2007, the Apostolic Faith Group of Schools operates day and boarding system with hundreds of pupils and students in both its primary and secondary schools. The presence of the school has made Emure a centre for educational tourism because it has pupils from Kogi, Ondo, Kwara, Edo, Osun and other surrounding states.

Emure where the school is located is a border community with countless porous routes surrounded by forests. It shares boundary with Ondo State at Owo through Eporo-Ekiti and Supare-Akoko in Akoko South West Local Government Area.

The incident, which occurred the same day some gunmen killed two Ekiti monarchs, namely the Onimojo of Imojo, Oba Olusola  Olatunji and the Elesun of Esun-Ekiti, Oba Babatunde Ogunsakin, who were returning from a trip to Kogi State, has thrown the community into palpable fear.

Before the ugly incident, Emure was a town that was full of life. Like every border town, it was home for all as brisk business thrives. The town, however, cut a sober mien when our correspondent visited. The town was almost in a lockdown, especially in the area where the school is situated.

Only a few persons and vehicles were seen on the roads while almost all the shops in the area were shut. All the private schools in the community were also shut.

It was learnt during the visit that many residents of Eporo Road where the students were kidnapped had started relocating to safer places within Emure for fear of the unknown.

Our correspondent’s visit showed that the distance between the spot where the pupils were kidnapped and Divisional Police Station in the town is less than five minutes drive.

The Apostolic Faith School was under lock and key, with the gateman refusing the reporter access into the premises of the school. A peep into the compound however revealed that there was no soul left in the premises.

Asked about the sober atmosphere in the community, the visibly distraught gateman reluctantly said the town was enveloped in anxiety because the victims were still in the kidnappers’ den.

In a chat with our reporter, the principal of the secondary school, Mr Alaba Owolabi, confirmed that the kidnappers had already demanded a ransom.

He said: “Yes, the kidnappers have contacted the parents and relatives of the victims, demanding N10 million for each person.

“We wouldn’t know how they arrived at N100 million, because those abducted were nine in number.”

Asked if the school would support the parents to raise the N100 million ransom demanded, the emotion-laden principal said “it is not as if we planned or budgeted to take care of criminal elements. But once the negotiation becomes concrete, then we will see what we can do”.

Shedding light on how the ugly incident occurred, Mr Alaba explained that the kidnapping incident occurred less than two kilometres from the school after the school hours.

He said: “It happened after the school hours three days ago.

“Normally, the school closes around 3pm. So, for them to get to that spot, it should be around 4pm.

“I learnt that the bus that was taking them to Eporo was way-laid by the kidnappers who shot one of the tyres.

“They then selected some of the occupants while the rest were released.

“Those that were left behind were those that were considered feeble or too young to withstand the rigour of trekking.

“They took away four staff members comprising two teachers, the driver, the bus attendant and five pupils (two students from the secondary section and three pupils from the primary).

“Immediately the news filtered in, we started running around to see how they could be rescued. Members of the Amotekun Corps and the local hunters went out that night but to no avail.

“We are still hoping that God will work on the release of the abductees.”

Speaking with our correspondent, Mr. Adebisi Jegede, whose 40-year-old wife, Esther, and 13-year-old son, Ogoolami, were among the abductees, expressed concern about the health of his wife and child.

Jegede, who is also a teacher, said he was tired of the whole situation because he had no means of getting the N20 million that was being demanded for the release of his wife and son.

Looking frail and devastated, he betrayed emotion as he tried to speak further on the incident. For more than five minutes, Jegede could not continue the chat with our reporter.

He picked himself up after some words of encouragement from the sympathisers around him, saying: “I heard the cry of my boy as he was being beaten when his abductors spoke to me on the telephone.

“What my wife and son are facing at the hands of the kidnappers is too much for them to bear.

“I could imagine what they are facing from their voice. They threatened to kill them if I don’t bring the money, but I was just pleading,”

Jegede, who sat on a wooden chair with a bible and pictures of his wife and son firmly clutched to his chest, added: “This is the darkest moment of my life. I’m really perplexed. I do not know what to do because I have no one to help me except God.

“I have not received a penny from anywhere even though people including my church had promised. But I am yet to see anything.

“I’m appealing to the state government to come to our rescue, because presently, there is no how I can raise that kind of money.

“We are pleading that the federal and state governments should help us to get the money so that the kidnappers would release the abductees, because today is their third day in the thick forest, and they are without food and shelter.”

Apparently moved by the development, the People of Eporo launched a crowd funding to raise ransom for seven of the abductees who are from the town and whose kidnap sent the rural community into panic.

The immediate past chairman of Emure Local government Area, Hon. Olubayode Okeya, said more than N1 million had been raised through donation from individuals as at Thursday evening.

Okeya explained that the fund raiser was at the behest of the Head of the community, who pleaded with the people to support the families of the abductees.

He said: “Through the efforts of the Baale and leaders in the community, we decided to call an emergency meeting this morning.

“We appealed to people to drop money and individuals started dropping the little they have.

“So far so good, we have been able to raise over N1 million. We will still continue the fundraising tomorrow.

“If the government can come to our aid, we will be happy. At least, we are making efforts to see what we can do to raise a reasonable amount of money.

“Our appeal to the federal and state governments is that they should come to our aid. They should think about the small children.

“The government should think about their lives and what they are going through for the past 72 hours inside the thick forest in this cold weather.”

In a bid to secure the release of the nine victims, the police, the military, the Amotekun Corps and local hunters have launched a manhunt for the kidnappers.

In solidarity, over 100 Amotekun corps members were also deployed to join the corps in Ekiti for the search and rescue operation.

Special Adviser to Ekiti State Governor, Brig-Gen Ebenezer Ogundana (rtd), said the security agents were on the trail of the kidnappers, saying no efforts would be spared to rescue the abductees.

He said: “We are trying as much as possible to get those children out. At the same time, we don’t want anyone of them to be hurt.

“So, while we are on the trail of the criminals, we are also mindful of the lives of the children and their teachers. That is why we are being tactical about the whole issue.

“We have already mobilised the security agents, including the Amotekun and local hunters.

“We are partnering with Ondo State because that place is closer to the Sunshine State.

“We will ensure the children are rescued unhurt.”

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Asked if the state government would be paying the N100 million demanded to secure the release of the abductees, the special adviser said “the state government is not aware of any ransom”.

Speaking on the development, Governor Biodun Oyebanji lamented the incident, describing it as an affront on the peaceful nature of the state.

The governor assured that the security agents were working round the clock to track the perpetrators of the horrendous act and rescue the abducted pupils and their teachers.

He said: “I have absolute confidence in the security agencies to fish out the people involved in this crime against the traditional institution in Ekiti.

“The government will continue to step up efforts at the security of the people because that is why we are here in government.

“My message to all the criminals is that Ekiti State is going to be hot for them. We are going to get too hot at them.

“I have therefore challenged security agencies with a firm instruction to fish out the kidnappers who committed this heinous sacrilege on the soil of Ekiti.”

He described security as a joint task of both residents and the government, urging residents to continue assisting the security operatives by giving timely information to the security men within their environments.

“Ekiti Kete, while these occurrences can be distressing, we should not despair or waver in our resolve to work together to fight violent crimes.

“As the evil men are unrelenting, we too have to collectively confront their evil enterprise with all the resources in our behest,” he added.

He expressed his readiness to rally all security apparatus available to fight and flush out criminal elements who might want to make Ekiti a killing field and safe haven for blood-sucking criminals.

The state government, according to Oyebanji, will also reinvigorate the local security outfits to work in synergy with conventional security networks to break the ranks of those perpetrating heinous crimes in the state.