The family of an Ogun State woman, Olayinka Oremade, has appealed to security agencies and the government to intensify efforts to rescue her from her abductors, who are demanding N100m for her release.
Oremade was reportedly kidnapped alongside one of her workers on Friday, August 14, after armed men allegedly ambushed their vehicle in the Alapako/Oyebola area of the state.
The victim’s son, Oremade Ilerioluwa, who spoke with our correspondent on Saturday, said his mother had visited a farm to create content for her business before the incident occurred while she was returning.
He said the attackers, numbering about seven, surrounded the vehicle after four of them emerged in front of the car. According to him, his mother attempted to reverse but the gunmen positioned themselves behind the vehicle and shot its rear tyres.
Ilerioluwa explained that the damaged vehicle eventually became trapped in the bush, forcing the occupants to abandon it and flee on foot.
He said two workers escaped, while his mother and another staff member were captured by the kidnappers.
The family reportedly learnt about the incident from the workers who escaped, as well as a surveyor involved in the operation. The matter was subsequently reported to the police the following day.
Ilerioluwa said the family also visited the Ajebo Police Station, which he said informed them that officers had searched the area without locating the victims, although the abandoned vehicle was recovered.
According to him, the kidnappers contacted the family on Saturday night and demanded N200m as ransom before eventually reducing the demand to N100m after days of negotiation.
He said he was able to speak with his mother during one of the calls, adding that she pleaded with him to seek financial assistance from relatives to facilitate her release.
The victim’s son said local hunters had also joined the search for the two abducted women, but their efforts had yet to produce any breakthrough.
Another son of the victim, whose identity was not disclosed, described the family’s ordeal as distressing and appealed to anyone capable of assisting with the rescue to intervene.
The family, which said it could not afford the N100m ransom, called on the police and other relevant authorities to intensify the search and secure the release of the victims.
“We need the help of the Nigerian police to put more hands on this matter and try and rescue them, because we have no way to be able to pay this ransom money.
“We need the government to put more hands on this matter and find these people,” the family said.
Efforts to obtain the reaction of the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Babaseyi Oluseyi, were unsuccessful as calls and messages sent to him had not been answered as of the time of filing this report.
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