According to the Punch,the relatives of one Olushola Ayanshola are currently in abject distress as a result of the outrageous ransom of N30 million requested by his captors,who kidnapped him along Otu-Alaga road in the Itesiwaju Local Government Area LGA of Oyo state.
Following the information acquired by local news reporters,the victim who is a cattle dealer was riding his motorcycle home from his farmland along Alaga road, which is located close to Radio Station in Otu town, on Sunday evening,14th May 2023 when two assailants armed with guns ambushed him and opened fire erratically into the air to terrify passing vehicles and pedestrians.
Unfortunately, the farmer was abducted and dragged away into the surrounding bushes as subsequent attempts by his relatives and law enforcement officers to ascertain his location were fruitless.
Reacting to the sad occurrence,one Olawale,the victim's son,revealed to newsmen that the abductors reached out to them on Monday,15th May 2023 to request for N30 million ransom to secure the release of his father,adding that his father begged him and his elder brother to seek all means humanly possible to gather the money because the kidnappers held him captive at a location within the bushes.
Olawale explained that, “the incident happened around 6pm on Sunday. My father visited his farm to supervise the labourers working on the farm and to settle them. After he was done at the farm located at Alaga, close to Radio Station, Otu town, he was returning home around 6pm when two armed kidnappers came out of the bush and ambushed him".
“We were told that my father left the motorcycle on the road and was making an attempt to run into the bush like other people at the scene of the attack when the kidnappers started shooting.Because my father was the target, they stopped him and whisked him away into the bush. Those that escaped said they were hiding in the bush when they heard gunshots and that it was when they no longer heard gunshots that they came out of hiding",he noted.
On the other hand,Olawale reported that those who were lucky enough to evade capture during the assault recalled that they were anticipating his father to emerge from where he was hiding himself after the assault, but when he was nowhere in sight, which left them no choice but to raise alarm that he has been abducted.
He mentioned that the suspects left the victim's motorcycle behind at the location of the attack,while emphasizing that the kidnappers aren't willing to reduce the ransom from N30 million in order to free his father.
Narratively,he went on to say that, “when I was informed about the attack, we started calling my father’s phone number but it was switched off. But on Monday morning, we got a call from a number which our father used in explaining that he was kidnapped and had been tied down in the bush".
“He said the kidnappers gave him a phone to contact us to raise the N30m ransom they demanded. He said it was N50m they initially demanded and that when he pleaded, they reduced it to N30m".
“When the kidnappers spoke with my elder brother, Emmanuel, he pleaded with them that the money was too much and they said we should provide it if we want our father alive.I also called the number that they used in contacting my elder brother and heard my father crying for help. He pleaded that we should not let the kidnappers kill him as they are making him suffer in the bush",he stated.
In the meantime,Olawale unveiled that his father asked them to put all his possessions on sale in order to raise the money, but Olawale made it clear to his father that there was absolutely no way they would be able to raise N30 million because all his properties put together isn't even up to N2 million.
He stated that, “as he was crying, I was also crying till the kidnappers collected the phone and hung up. When I tried speaking with one of the kidnappers, he did not understand Yoruba and English but Hausa.We reported the matter at the Otu Police Station; his motorcycle is also there. We have sold two cows to raise N500,000. The Amotekun Corps heard of the kidnap and its men have been combing the bush but could not find them".
“We were surprised when the kidnappers called to inform us that they are aware that hunters and the Amotekun operatives were on their trail and threatened to kill our father if we did not tell them to back down.My father, while pleading for help, also said the kidnappers are aware that the Amotekun officials and hunters are combing the bush and that their informant usually updates them as to when to go deeper inside the bush",the victim's son affirmed.
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the State Police Command, Adewale Osifeso, responded that, “an investigation is ongoing. Updates would be provided accordingly".
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