The kidnappers of nine worshippers from St. John’s Catholic Church, Ojije in Utonkon, Ado Local Government Area, Benue State, have demanded a ransom of N100 million.
The victims, who included women and youths, were holding a vigil at the church when they were seized at 2 a.m. Sunday.
According to a family member of one of the victims who spoke anonymously, the abductors first approached the families on Wednesday and demanded N100 million.
The source further stated that during discussions in the early hours of Thursday, the kidnappers decreased the demand to N30 million.
“This is the situation we find ourselves in now. It was only yesterday (Wednesday) that they contacted us and demanded N100m,” the source disclosed, saying, “After negotiation, they reduced the ransom to N30m, which is what we are now working hard to raise.
“We are seeking assistance from friends, relatives, and the wider public. We are also appealing to public-spirited individuals, corporate organizations, and civil society groups to come to the aid of the abductees.”
“Security agencies have been deployed to the area, but they have yet to apprehend the kidnappers and rescue our people. We are calling on the government to deploy more personnel to comb the forest and bring the perpetrators to justice,” the source further stated.
Attempts to reach the Benue State Police Command spokesman, DSP Udeme Edet, were fruitless since her phone rang unanswered.
Sunday Oche, chairman of Ado Local Government, denied to comment on the ransom but told our correspondent that security forces were trying to safely retrieve the victims.
