Gunmen Demand N20m After Abducting Passengers On Benin-Ore Expressway

A Nigerian man, who has been identified as Safiu Kareem, has raised an alarm regarding the abduction of his father, Akeem Kareem, and an undisclosed number of individuals in the Ofosu area along the Benin-Ore Expressway.

Safiu told The PUNCH correspondent that the bandits, who abducted the victims on Wednesday afternoon, were “already demanding money”.

Speaking earlier on Thursday, he said his dad and his friends were travelling to Warri, Delta State, in a vehicle after attending a party in Osogbo, Osun State.

He said the news of the abduction got to the family after the kidnappers contacted them through one of the phones taken from the travellers.

“My dad came to Osogbo for a celebration with his friends from Warri, Delta. They were returning on Wednesday.

“When they got to the Benin-Ore Expressway in the Ofosu area, they were stopped (by the kidnappers). The bandits were in army uniform. My dad was taken. A friend of my dad escaped. He was the driver.”

Safiu said one of the occupants who managed to escape told the family how his dad and others were taken while another occupant was shot.

He said the incident was reported at a police station in Ofosu.

“They are asking for N20 million,” he added.

Safiu appealed to the police, military personnel and other security agencies to intervene and rescue his dad and others, saying, “I don’t want to lose my dad.”

The Ondo State Police Public Relations Officer, Funmilayo Odunlami, did not take calls or respond to a text message sent to her line.

The Edo State PPRO, Chidi Nwabuzor, had not also responded to calls and a text message sent to his line over the incident as of the time filing this report.

Concerns over the rising insecurity in the country have grown as Nigerians are demanding tough actions by the Federal Government against kidnappers.

The security crisis came to a head last week when bandits took their operations to the Federal Capital Territory where they kidnapped 23 people in the Bwari area of Abuja.

As part of efforts to tackle the menace, the Federal Government on Wednesday warned against raising funds for ransoms.

Expressing concern about the abduction epidemic, the South-South governors on Thursday urged the Federal Government to do more in the management of security in the country.