Gunmen have abducted nine members of a family, including a nursing mother and six children, in Edo State, demanding a staggering N260 million ransom for their release.
The victims were ambushed on the Eko-Abeku-Iyowa road within the Evboneka community along the Benin-Akure highway around 5 pm on Monday, February 2, while returning from school.
Family head, Festus Bamidele, disclosed that the assailants released the nursing mother and her infant after heavy rainfall on the day of the abduction. The family learned of the incident when the two returned home.
“We got to know about the kidnapping when the nursing mother and her babe got home,” Bamidele said. He added that vigilantes and police later rescued three other young children of pre-kindergarten age from the bush.
However, four victims—aged between 11 and 26 years, including Bamidele's children, his younger sister, and a sister-in-law—remain in captivity. “The kidnappers have contacted us and demanded N260 million ransom,” he confirmed.
Edo State Police Command Spokesperson, Eno Ikoedem, confirmed the incident. She stated that operatives from Ekiadolor Division engaged the kidnappers in a gunfight, successfully rescuing five victims unhurt while four were taken away.
“The command, in collaboration with hunters and vigilantes, has launched an intensive bush combing exercise for the kidnappers, with efforts ongoing to rescue the remaining victims,” Ikoedem said.
The brazen attack highlights the persistent insecurity on interstate roads in Southern Nigeria and the audacious ransom demands by criminal gangs, putting immense pressure on affected families and security agencies.
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