Two Ransom Carriers Detained By Kidnappers After They Rejected ₦10m

Two relatives of five abducted women in Erinmope-Ekiti, Moba Local Government Area of Ekiti State, have reportedly been held hostage by kidnappers, increasing the number of victims in captivity to seven.

The gunmen had, on Saturday, January 24, 2026, invaded the community and abducted five women, including a nursing mother, a pregnant woman, and three others.

The abductors were said to have initially demanded a ransom of ₦100m from the family.

The victims, Soliu Mohammad and Soliu Ibrahim, who had gone to deliver ₦10m after pleading for a reduction of ₦100m ransom, were seized and taken to an unknown location around Idofin in Oke-Ero Local Government Area of Kwara State.

Speaking in a telephone interview with journalists, the head of the family, Alhaji Muhammad Saliu Okanlawon, popularly known as Elebenla, said the family had appealed to the kidnappers to reduce the ransom from ₦100m to ₦10m, noting that extended family members made donations, which enabled them to raise the amount.

“We took ₦10m to the kidnappers last Friday, February 6, 2026, at a location in Orun-Ago, Omu-Aran, but we were later directed to Idofin in Oke-Ero Local Government Area of Kwara State.

“Our family has been traumatised by this incident. We struggled to raise the ₦10m with the hope that the kidnappers would show mercy and release the five earlier abducted members of our family.”

“We were thrown into deeper pain when we received a call that the two brothers who took the ransom had also been held hostage. They said the money was too small despite our pleas.

“We are appealing to the government to come to our aid. One of the victims is nine months pregnant, and you can imagine the trauma she is going through. It is indeed a painful experience for the family”, he added

Okanlawon urged the security agencies and the government to urgently intervene to secure their release.

Credit: thenationonlineng.net