Posted by Chinenye on Fri 06th Nov, 2026 - tori.ng
A family is going through a difficult time after their son and other travellers were kidnapped on their way home.
(IGP, Olatunji Rilwan Disu. Photo by The African Report)
Family member of 10 travelers who were abducted near Ijebu Awa a town on the border of Ogun and Oyo states are desperately begging for help to rescue their loved ones.
Kidnappers who took them are asking for 25million naira to let them go
Among the victims is 24 year old Olusoji Adedapo, who recently finished his National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, programme in Edo State.
Some early reports said the passengers were serving corps members, but the police say none of the abducted people were corps members.
The cousin of Adedapo, Adeseye Timilehin, said the family is in deep distress.
The kidnappers have given them a 24 hour deadline to pay.
Adedapo was on his way back to Ibadan from Benin City on Tuesday.
He had been sending updates about the trip, including a video showing heavy traffic.
Timilehin said the group got stuck in the jam and did not leave until about 3pm.
The driver insisted on pushing on, even though the travellers wanted to return to Benin and continue the next day.
They reached Ijebu at about 7pm, where gunmen attacked them.
According to a passenger named Tunde, who was also a corps member with Adedapo, the driver swerved into the bush after the gunmen stepped in front of the bus.
Most passengers ran but were caught.
Tunde escaped by hiding in the bush and later reached the police.
Police officers arrived at the scene and took him to a station, where he spent the night.
A search party went into the forest that night but found no sign of the victims.
On Wednesday, Adedapo's mother, aunt and a family friend went to the police station in Awa Ijebu for news.
Officers and local vigilantes were still searching the forest but had not made any progress.
The family was told to go home and wait for the kidnappers to make contact.
Adedapo's luggage was handed over to his relatives.
On the way back to the motor park, the family got its first call from the kidnappers, who asked for N20 million.
Adedapo's mother pleaded that the family could not afford it.
The kidnappers let her speak briefly with her son, which confirmed he was still alive. Later, the demand went up to N25 million.
On Thursday, the kidnappers called again to ask if the money had been raised.
They said that if it had not been found, the family had effectively handed Adedapo over to them.
Adedapo then spoke to his mother and asked her to get his elder brother to reach out to friends for help.
He also called Timilehin directly and begged him to gather money from friends and well-wishers.
Timilehin said the family had only raised N700,000 so far, which is far short of the demand.
The family says it is making every effort to find the money, but the kidnappers have not shown any sign of lowering the amount.
Timilehin asked for urgent help to secure the release of Adedapo and the other victims.
Ogun State police are looking into what really happened
Police Public Relations Officer DSP Oluseyi Babaeyi Ogunnaike said officers are working to learn how the attack happened and to secure the victims' release.