Kidnappers abduct Police officer, 4 others in Edo

…Demand N100m ransom for 2 victims
By Ozioruva Aliu

BENIN CITY – AKOKO- The Edo Local Government Area in Edo State seemed to be under siege of kidnappers as five persons, including a police officer were reportedly abducted in two separate operations by suspected kidnappers in the area.

Kidnappings have become a daily occurrence in the council to the extent that the council authority and the traditional rulers imposed a curfew from 9p.m. to 6a.m. daily.

It was gathered that the first two were kidnapped at the Makeke Primary Health Centre, where the gunmen reportedly kidnapped Tope Oriloye, a female secondary school student and Samuel Ilesanmi, who had rushed his son to the health centre with his wife on February 8, while the other happened at residence of a Police Inspector, Segun Obanowa in Auchi from Uma/Imoga, where he was kidnapped alongside his wife and daughter but that his wife was later released to go and arrange for ransom to free her husband and daughter.

In a statement, yesterday, in Benin City, National Coordinator, Movement for the Advancement of Akoko Edo People, Bode Ekundayo, said the kidnappers, who abducted Oriloye and Ilesanmi had already contacted the family, asking for N100 million ransom for both of them.

He said: “Daring kidnappers struck again in Akoko Edo, this time at Makeke village, less than a kilometre from Ososo in the eastern part of Akoko Edo, taking away a secondary school female student, Tope Oriloye and Samuel Ilesanmi on February 8, at the community health centre.

“In a similar operation in Auchi, kidnappers invaded the residence of Police Inspector, Segun Obanowa from Uma/Imoga in Akoko Edo and kidnapped him, his wife and daughter, later releasing his wife to go look for ransom to free her husband and daughter.”

Ekundayo noted that hunters and vigilantees in Makeke mobilised and entered the bushes, combing far and near till the early hours of the following day without positive result.

He added: “However the kidnappers called in the evening on February 9, to ask for N100 million for Tope Oriloye and Samuel Ilesanmi to be released.

“This trend of demanding N100 million to commence ransom negotiation is becoming a familiar thing, having manifested its irritating trend in previous kidnap ransom negotiations.”

The group called on the Edo State government and Akoko Edo council authority to take action and save the local government from the siege of kidnappers.
The Police in the state confirmed the incident.

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