Relatives of the pupils and teachers of Apostolic Faith Group of Schools, Emure-Ekiti, Emure Local Government Area of Ekiti State, who were released in a forest between Owo and Oba-Akoko in Ondo State at about 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, have disclosed how their abductors demanded N15m ransom and other items before their release.
However, the kidnappers killed the driver of the school bus, identified as Taiwo Olugbaye, in the forest.
One of the parents of the victims who spoke on the condition of anonymity, revealed that members of the community and other indigenes, both home and abroad, contributed the ransom.
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He stated that the kidnappers asked the family to bring the ransom, alongside other items such as fried rice and chicken, drinks and tramadol to the forest.
The family source disclosed that the driver was killed by the kidnappers after he was unable to provide the telephone numbers of his relatives to call for ransom.
According to one of the parents, “We have to thank God for the safe return of our children and wives from the forest after they were kidnapped on Monday.
“The kidnappers insisted on collecting ransom on Saturday and we rallied round the communities, including our people outside the country, to raise the ransom. They even collected a carton of tin milk, black bullet, fried rice with chicken, soft and energy drinks and tramadol from us.
“We were asked to take the money and the items to a bush in Ondo State, a farmstead called Ago Paanu, at about 7:00 p.m. It is between Oba Akoko and Owo. Before they could release our people, they confirmed the money and those items. We walked through the bush till about 1:00 a.m. when we saw the victims.”
On why the driver was killed, the source said: “The children told us that when they [kidnappers] were asking for telephone numbers of relatives to call from each of them, the driver told them he didn’t know that of his wife and school proprietor offhand; this made them angry and they hit him with their gun.
“For five days, he was said to be having issues after the injury he sustained and was shot dead on Saturday morning. The most painful thing is that his corpse was burnt in the bush, according to what the pupils told us.
“It was a bitter experience for the victims, especially looking at how the driver was killed. We appreciate the efforts of the state government and the security agencies.”
Recounting how they retrieved the victims in the bush, a parent who spoke at the premises of the hospital on condition of anonymity said: “The kidnappers were calling persistently that we should hurry up. They said we should meet them at Ikare junction. I wondered how they came to Ikare junction when they took the children at Eporo.
“When we got to Ikare junction, he said we should buy food, so we went to buy rice and meat. When we were about to get to Waterworks, he called that we should turn back, and then the kidnapper described a road that only big vehicles could pass. We decided that all of us should not go there so that they would not think that we came with policemen who could make them injure the abductees.
“When we told them we were on the path, he [kidnapper] said only two persons should come. He threatened to waste the kidnapped persons if more than two persons come. Only two continued while the rest of us sat on the road there. The driver of the vehicle and one person continued far into the forest and drove back. So, they now used a motorbike to trace the kidnappers to drop the money and the food.
“On collecting the money and food, they released the kidnapped persons. They used motorbike to bring the kidnapped persons to the road, it was then they called us to bring the vehicle to convey them.”
The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Ekiti state Teaching hospital, Professor Kayode Olabanji, said the victims were being given necessary medical attention to ensure their full recovery from the trauma.
Olabanji said: “Very early today [Sunday], they were brought in and they were in various conditions, some of them were so dehydrated, we don’t know when last they took water or even food.
“Many of the pupils were in panic state; you could see that they were very terrified. However, immediately we brought them in, they were attended to by doctors, nurses and other specialists. We brought in those clinical psychologists who could work on them to allay their fears.
“They were given the initial resuscitation, including rehydration; they were given fluids; some who needed oxygen were given oxygen.
“After they had stabilised a bit, they were even given food too. They are much better; we will still carry out a few investigations to fully appraise their situation. But I can say with confidence that they are clinically stable and we don’t foresee any untoward eventuality.”
