The abductors of a community leader in Ogun State, Tajudeen Omotayo, have demanded a ransom of N100 million before they will release him.
Omotayo is the leader of a community in Imope town in Ijebu-North Local Government Area of the state in south-west Nigeria.
He was abducted by gunmen on Saturday last week while returning from a meeting held in Ijebu-Ode town in his vehicle.
The community leader was reportedly accosted at the Oke-Eri area of Imope where the armed men pulled him out and took him away to an unknown destination.
His vehicle was, however, abandoned on the Ijebu-Ode – Oru – Ibadan Road.
Two days after the incident, Omotayo’s abductors were said to have reached out to his family to demand a ransom for his release.
They reportedly requested the sum of N200 million initially before reducing the money to N100 million.
The police authorities in the state also said the victim’s family confirmed to them that the kidnappers had demanded a ransom.
Abimbola Oyeyemi, who is the Police Public Relations Officer in Ogun, stated that the command would not be part of the arrangement to pay a ransom for the victim’s freedom.
Omotayo’s kidnap came barely a week after gunmen abducted two female students of the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) in Ago-Iwoye.
The University students were kidnapped while returning to their hall of residence located in the Olowu area in Ayetoro Campus of the institution in Yewa North Local Government Area.
Shortly after they were abducted, Oyeyemi had said that the police launched a manhunt in conjunction with local hunters to rescue the students.
The abductors were said to have contacted the parents of the students and demanded a sum of N50 million for their release.
After spending two nights in the custody of their abductors, the students regained their freedom on Tuesday last week.
While the police did not confirm the arrest of the students’ abductors, they insisted that no ransom was paid for their release.
