Kidnapped Osun Gold Miners Freed After Paying N20m Ransom

A gold miner and his driver who were abducted two weeks ago along Ilesa-Osogbo road by some yet-to-be identified gunmen have been released.

The principal gold miner, Musibau Adepoju and his driver, whose name could not be ascertained, were abducted penultimate Friday.

Recall that Adepoju, a gold miner who usually operates within gold mining communities around Ilesa, is based in Osogbo alongside his family members and was said to be on his way home before he was waylaid and kidnapped by the men of the underworld.

It was gathered that the driver was conveying Adepoju in an excavator caterpillar to Osogbo from Ilesa when the incident happened.

It was reliably gathered that the kidnappers had contacted the family of Adepoju and had demanded for the sum of N100 million before he could be released.

“Alhaji didn’t return home on Friday and this kept us worried. We waited till Friday night but didn’t hear from him. We called his phone number repeatedly but he wasn’t picking his calls.

“It was on Saturday morning that we got a call from one of the kidnappers who asked us to bring the N100 million as ransom for his release. We became more worried because we don’t have that money. We have been praying ever since for his unconditional release,” a source had said.

The incident was said to have been reported at the state police command at Osogbo.

Meanwhile, a source informed our Correspondent on Sunday that the victims had been released safely after paying the sum of N20 million to their captors.

“Alhaji and his driver have been released but we paid N20 million to the Fulani people that kidnapped them. We have to beg them before they can collect the ransom from us. Nowhere is safe again in this country,” the source revealed.