A group of travelers returning from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, were ambushed and kidnapped by gunmen in Emure-Ile, Emure Local Government Area, late Sunday night.
The victims, including the driver, Mr. Sunday Emmanuel, were forcibly taken into the bush, while the assailants abandoned some children in the bus. The cries of the children reportedly attracted the attention of passersby, who then alerted the police.
According to a source from the Road Transport Employer Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) at the Ado-Ekiti Motor Terminal branch, the kidnappers contacted the family of the driver, demanding a ransom of ₦30 million for each abducted individual.
"They drove the bus into the bush and dragged people out. They called the family of the driver, and I spoke with him briefly. The kidnappers demanded ₦30 million and said they would call back, but they haven't yet," the source told The Nation.
The source also disclosed that two of the kidnapped passengers managed to escape, while the driver's union in Ado-Ekiti is meeting to strategize on how to assist the victims and establish further contact with the kidnappers.
Meanwhile, efforts to get an official response from the Ekiti State Police Command have been unsuccessful.
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