Gunmen kidnap two farmers in Ondo, demand N100m ransom

Suspected gunmen have abducted two farmers in Parubber Community, Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State, with the kidnappers reportedly demanding a ransom of N100 million for their release.

A family source said the victims were ambushed on their farms on Monday and taken into a nearby forest by the assailants.

One of the farmers who escaped the attack, Pastor Yemi Omowale, said the incident had been reported to the police and the Ondo State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun.

Omowale, who operates a piggery farm in Parubber Community along the Ondo-Ife Road, recounted the incident.

“I run a piggery farm in Parubber Community along Ondo-Ife Road in Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo Local Government Area. We went there in the morning to feed the animals.

“Between 12 noon and 1 p.m. on Monday, we were working outside when I saw a masked man carrying an AK-47 moving towards one of the victims, Adetan Adebanjo Gbemi, because we were not standing together,” he said.

According to him, the abductors have contacted the wife of one of the victims and are demanding N100 million as ransom.

“They have been calling the victim’s wife to ask how much she has been able to raise. We are appealing to the security agencies and the government to help rescue our brother and sister unharmed,” Omowale said.

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Ondo State Police Command, DSP Jimoh Abayomi, said the Oke-Igbo Divisional Headquarters received a report that the victims were missing.

He said a joint security team comprising police operatives, including the Anti-Kidnapping Squad, Amotekun personnel, local hunters and vigilantes, had been deployed to the area.

“Search and rescue operations are currently ongoing, with all available operational and intelligence resources being deployed to locate the victims and bring the perpetrators to justice,” Abayomi said.

He added that efforts were being intensified to rescue the victims unharmed and apprehend those behind the abduction.

The police spokesperson urged residents to remain calm and provide any credible information that could assist the ongoing operation through the nearest police formation.

He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to securing the safe release of the victims and ensuring the suspects are brought to justice.