Gunmen Abduct Cleric, Son In Kwara, Demand N100Million Ransom

Sofiu Amolegbe, a cleric, and his son have been kidnapped.

They were kidnapped by gunmen in the Oko-Olowo area of Ilorin, Kwara State.

The incident occurred on Saturday.

This was confirmed by the spokesman for the state police command, SP Ajayi Okasanmi who added that two suspects have already been arrested in connection with the abduction.

Okasanmi added that the police were working to rescue the victims.

“Police are already investigating the matter. Efforts are also at an advanced stage to rescue the victims.

“Meanwhile, two suspects have already been arrested,” he said.

SaharaReporters gathered that the gunmen entered the young cleric's home after removing the burglar-proof window. The assailants thereafter abducted three victims.

One of them attempted to flee but was shot and hacked with a machete by the assailants.

According to the cleric's father, the kidnappers abandoned the third victim, leaving him for dead.

The injured victim is receiving treatment in a hospital.

He stated that the kidnappers had already contacted the family and demanded a ransom of N100 million for the two others they had kidnapped.

“The kidnappers have contacted us and they are asking for N100 million ransom. We have begged them to accept N10 million, which we do not even have.

“I am appealing to the state government and men of goodwill to assist us in getting my son and grandson out of the den of the kidnappers,” the father said.

Similarly, in a video seen by SaharaReporters, the operatives of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) narrated how they rescued some kidnapped victims in Ilorin on Saturday night.

“On the 19th of November 2022, at about 20 minutes after 9, we were able, with the information, to assist our madam from kidnappers who kidnapped her with two other victims, an aged woman with her young boy that was kidnapped with Keke NAPEP.

“They boarded Keke NAPEP at Oja-Oba in Ilorin yesterday (Saturday) around with the aim of going to Lanre Gada. But instead of going to Lanre Gada, a gun was pointed at them in the vehicle and they were told to keep quiet. They were taken to the bush where they were tortured,” one of the officers narrated in the video.

The security operative added that they tracked the kidnappers to a bush and were able to rescue the victims and recover a motorcycle.

An Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) identified as Abdulmumini Yusuf was also kidnapped by unknown gunmen in Ogidi community of Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara State in October.