Tension has gripped Erinmope-Ekiti in Moba Local Government Area of Ekiti State after kidnappers reportedly detained two ransom carriers sent to secure the release of five abducted women, raising the number of captives to seven.
The gunmen had on Saturday, January 24, 2026, stormed the community and abducted five women, including a nursing mother and a pregnant woman. The attackers initially demanded N100 million ransom from the victims’ families.
However, after several appeals, relatives reportedly managed to raise N10 million and sent two family members — identified as Soliu Mohammad and Soliu Ibrahim — to deliver the money.
Instead of releasing the victims, the kidnappers allegedly seized the two ransom carriers and took them to an unknown location believed to be around Idofin in Oke-Ero Local Government Area of Kwara State.
Speaking with journalists, the head of the family, Alhaji Muhammad Saliu Okanlawon, popularly known as Elebenla, said the development had left the family devastated.
“We struggled to raise N10 million, hoping the kidnappers would show mercy and release the five women. But we were shocked to learn that the two relatives who went to deliver the money were also held hostage,” he said.
According to him, the abductors rejected the N10 million ransom, insisting that the amount was too small and refusing to release any of the captives.
Okanlawon appealed to security agencies and government authorities to urgently intervene, expressing concern over the condition of the victims, particularly a nine-month-pregnant woman still in captivity.
“It is indeed a painful experience for the family. We are calling on the government and security agencies to help us secure their release. The trauma is too much, especially for the pregnant woman,” he said.
As of press time, security agencies had yet to issue an official statement on the incident, while residents expressed fears over the increasing wave of kidnappings in communities around the Ekiti–Kwara border axis.
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