Gunmen kidnap hotelier, wife, children, others in Oyo

The victims were abducted in a hotel on Saturday.

 

Unknown gunmen have kidnapped a hotelier, Olukunle Oyedokun, and his nursing wife, Juliana, at a hotel in Ajaawa, Ogo Oluwa Local Government Area of Oyo State.

 

The couple’s infant, children, five relatives, and a guest were also taken away by the kidnappers.

 

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the incident occurred around 10.30 p.m. on Saturday. Sources who spoke with our correspondent said two other guests escaped the kidnap.

 

This newspaper gathered that Mr Oyedokun and other relatives were whisked away while preparing for a family burial ceremony coming up this weekend.

 

The state police spokesperson, Adewale Osifeso, did not respond to calls and text messages as of the time of filing this report.

 

A senior police officer in the local government, however, confirmed the incident but said the family of the victims gave conflicting figures of victims.

 

Family sources told our correspondent that the kidnappers have asked for N15 million.

 

After a long appeal, the ransom is said to have been reduced to N2.5 million.

 

Also, the National President of Soludero Hunters, Nureni Ajijolaanobi, confirmed the incident.

 

He said his team, alongside police and other security operatives, are combing the forest to rescue the victim.

 

This latest kidnap comes exactly two months after a student of the University of Ibadan was taken away by gunmen who later demanded a ransom of N100 million.

 

Despite the creation of a regional security network in the region, the south-west has continued to be a hotbed of kidnappings, abductions, and other criminalities.

 

In the past month, at least one kidnap case was reported in the states of Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, and Osun.

 

Two weeks ago, nurses and midwives in Ogun State embarked on a strike over the kidnapping of their members in the state.