Ekiti community protests as bandits fail to release abductees, despite N10.5m ransom

IT was a moment of pain and despair as residents of Eda-Oniyo community in Ilejemeje Local Government Area of Ekiti State staged a protest, demanding the release of 16 kidnapped residents despite the payment of N10.5 million ransom.

The protesters, made up of community leaders, relatives of the victims, women and youths, lamented that the abductees had remained in the custody of their captors for 36 days, with the kidnappers demanding N50 million before releasing them.

The aggrieved residents, in their large numbers held placards with inscriptions such as, ‘We are peace loving indigenes. FG, Ekiti State Government, save our loved ones from kidnappers”,  “President Tinubu, save us, we are perishing” “We are helpless on this issue, save our loved ones from captivity,” among others.

Recall that gunmen stormed a Christ Apostolic Church, CAC, in the community on April 28, 2026, killing a presiding revivalist simply known as Pastor Aregbe during the service and abducted 16 worshippers.

The abductors initially demanded a N1 billion ransom, which was later reportedly reduced to N150 million before shifting ground for N50 million.

Speaking during the protest, a community member, known as Bose Ajayi appealed to government authorities to rescue the victims, noting that women, children and elderly persons were among those still being held by the bandits.

She said: “We are here to plead on behalf of our village. Our people have been in captivity for 36 days. We have children as young as two and three years old and an elderly woman, who is over 80 years old among those kidnapped. Families are suffering and children keep asking for their mothers.

“We are begging the Federal Government, the state government and the local government to help secure their release. Women are crying, children are crying and the entire community is in pain.” 

Also speaking, Ayodele Ajayi said communication with the captives had continued intermittently, but no concrete rescue effort had yielded results.

His word: “Our people have been kidnapped for 36 days. We contributed what we could as a community and paid N10.5 million ransom, but the kidnappers refused to release them. Instead, they are demanding more money.

“There are 16 victims in total. Most of them are women, while two are young boys. We are pleading with the government at all levels to come to our aid and rescue our people.”

Another community representative, Ayodele Oni, said residents felt abandoned despite the prolonged ordeal.

According to him, the community had raised the ransom through collective efforts and also supplied food items and other materials demanded by the kidnappers.