Freedom came the way of 11 kidnapped persons in Ekiti State yesterday, some of them after three weeks in captivity.
Rescued were Dr. Femi Omisore, Associate Professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife; Dr (Mrs.) Folasade Alade and Dr. (Mrs.) Kikelomo Adegun, both of the Ekiti State University; Mrs. Margaret Aladenika, theatre nurse at Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti and Dr. (Mrs.) Yemisi Abiola.
The rest are: Mrs. W.A. Abiola , Mrs. Folake Adeniyi, Dr. Ibrahim and Alhaja Bili Abiola all from Ibadan, Mrs. Lydia Agnes and her daughter from Adewole Estate, Ilorin, Mrs. Ogunlola from Igede Ekiti and Mr. Jimi Johnson.
They were rescued by a combined team of hunters and armed policemen from a forest located in Esure Ekiti in Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state
The kidnap victims appeared weak and exhausted on their release.
They were immediately allowed to go home to rejoin their families.
The Elesure of Esure Ekiti, Oba Adebanji Ajibola, throwing light on how freedom came for them said that hunters from the community located the kidnappers’ den following a tip-off.
A female resident, according to him, had brought information that she saw armed men in the bush.
Oba Ajibola subsequently alerted the police who stormed the forest along with hunters.
The monarch said: “A woman had come this morning (yesterday) crying that she saw some armed strange men in the bush and we immediately asked security operatives and local vigilance members to swing into action and start searching for the kidnappers in the bush.
“They have begun searching the Osi- Iropora road and I want to believe that we will still get them before 12 noon today.
“We found the kidnap victims in the thick bush of Esure – Ika- Irasa – Ado road. We have started the rescue assignment since last week. We also reported our suspicion about the bush to the government.
“The government said they were sending heavily armed security operatives to invade the bush, but I advised against that, saying that they should allow us to use my local vigilance first, who would first of all comb the bush and once they have a clue of anything, we would then ask the police to swing into action.
“So, I thank God that when our local vigilante team began searching the bush, they found a spot where they discovered that some people have smoked and drank hard liquor.”
He said the police have launched a manhunt for one Olumide, a native of Esure Ekiti for allegedly serving as an accomplice of the kidnappers.
A relieved Governor Ayo Fayose, expressed appreciation to God, the local hunters and security agencies who worked round the clock to achieve the breakthrough.
Describing kidnapping as very strange in Ekiti, Fayose charged security agencies not to rest on their oars until the kidnappers are arrested and brought to justice.
The governor warned politicians in the state against politicising kidnapping, adding that all hands must be on deck to tackle the menace and other violent crimes in the state.
Fayose commended the Police Commissioner, Mr. Etop James and the Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Duke Fubara for the breakthrough.
He said: “We have to thank God that the victims are back. Some are very weak and some are sick, but whatever the story is, their release gladdens our hearts.
“Over 50% of them are not from Ekiti and we want them to reunite with their families.
“Kidnapping is very strange in Ekiti, but we are learning from all this to be able to map out how to provide security that would prevent a recurrence.
“We must not make this a political issue. We have to be careful not to fight crime with political minds, because this could be dangerous.”
Speaking through the State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Alberto Adeyemi, Police Commissioner James said the rescue operation was a collaboration of all security agencies and local hunters.
He said: “After the kidnap, we mapped out a strategy, which involved mapping out the whole of the forests in Ekiti.
“We worked with the armed squad of the Nigerian prisons, the local vigilance group, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, DSS and even soldiers to be able to achieve this.
“We have 300 personnel of combined forces for this operation. Where we first visited was Ilejemeje/Ido axis. We combed the whole forest but no result.
“The next place we combed was Awo-Eyio-Esure forest up to Ekiti State University. In the process of doing this, we were blaring siren just for the kidnappers to know we were close by.
“That could account for why they ran away and left the victims before they could be rescued.
“We involved local hunters because they are familiar with the terrain. The next operation is to fish out the kidnappers and we are closing in on them”.
Victims’ relations: ‘We paid ransom
however, a relation of one of the kidnap victims, Mrs. Nike Aina told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that they were released after their families paid ransom.
She said that they were dropped at a bush in Esure area of the state.
Also, a brother of one of the victims, Pastor Tokunbo Olofin, said that “my sister called me around 7am yesterday, telling me they had been released.
“She used one of the villagers’ phones to call. We have seen them, we thank God for his faithfulness,” Olofin said.
He said the victims had been taken to hospitals for treatment by their families after the Police had arrived at the scene.
Tension had risen in the state over the last few weeks following the wave of kidnapping prompting the
Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the state to embark on a protest.
It also threatened to call out its members to down tools if the victims were not found immediately.
The union expressed concern that the kidnappers had demanded N210 million as ransom for three out of five members kidnapped at different locations.
ASUU chairman at the Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Prof Olufayo Olu-Olu, during the protest said: “This is the same way Boko Haram started in the North.
“It started like a child’s play, but today a visit to the North would show the level of damage the sect has done to the system.”
The Ekiti State branch of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) also declared an indefinite strike to protest the abduction of its members, Dr. Patrick Adegun and Mrs. Margaret Aladeneka.
