The abductors of five students and four staff members from the Apostolic Faith Group of Schools in Emure Ekiti, Ekiti State, on Friday, 2nd February 2024, demanded N15 million as ransom to be released from their cave.

Nine people were taken by the gunmen to an unidentified location on Monday, 28th January 2024, after they assaulted a bus carrying pupils and staff members back to their homes at Eporo.

However, the kidnappers allegedly wanted N10 million in ransom for each of the nine people they had taken when they got in touch with one of the parents’ families on Tuesday, 29th January 2024.

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It was reported that the kidnappers informed the parents that the children were already weak and that they should pay the ransom on time. On Friday, 2nd February 2024, the kidnappers lowered the ransom to N15 million for all of the abducted individuals.

If their families did not pay the ransom in time to free the hostages, they threatened to kill them. “The development is that they (kidnappers) are demanding ransom; N15m,” stated the school’s owner, Pastor Gabriel Adesanya, on Friday night. They continued to insist on a N15 million ransom between Thursday and Friday, 1st and 2nd February 2024.

The relatives of the abductees are seeking financial assistance, according to a family source who wished to remain anonymous. They made the kidnappees an offer of N4m on Thursday, which they turned down.

“The kidnappers are insisting on N15m. Everybody is worried especially with their threat on Thursday that the families should not delay with the ransom so that they would not kill the victims, adding that the children are already weak.”

“The families had tasked themselves and there was contribution in Eporo, but the money gathered is still a far cry. What is needed right now is support. I will, on behalf of the families and the hostages, especially the children, appeal to the Federal and State Governments and all well-meaning Nigerians to come to our aid so that they can be released,” the source said.