Residents of Awun community in Oro-Ago, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, have reportedly raised ₦60 million to secure the release of a pregnant woman and two children abducted by suspected terrorists.
It was gathered that the ransom was contributed by residents of the community and indigenes living outside the country after the victims spent about four months in captivity.
Sources said the kidnappers also demanded food items, including two 50kg bags of rice, 20 litres of groundnut oil, a carton of spaghetti, 10kg of semovita, assorted alcoholic drinks and seasoning cubes before releasing the captives.
The abductees were reportedly kidnapped from their home in February while their father, Olajide Buraimoh, was away. The children, aged between four and 15, regained their freedom on Monday after the ransom was paid, while the pregnant woman was reportedly released earlier.
A resident, identified simply as Ismail, described the development as a huge relief but lamented the financial burden placed on the community to secure the victims' freedom.
He said the community had endured months of anxiety and hardship while raising the ransom, adding that residents were grateful the victims eventually returned alive.
When contacted, the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Ojo Adekimi, said the command had not received any report of the abduction or the alleged ransom payment.
"I am not aware of the incident. Nobody informed us about the abduction, let alone the payment of ransom," the police commissioner said.
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