Kidnappers Seize 10 Passengers On Ijebu-Ode-Ibadan Road, Demand ₦25m Ransom

Gunmen have abducted 10 passengers travelling in a commercial bus along the Ijebu-Ode-Ibadan Road in Ogun State and are demanding ₦25 million for their release. The victims were intercepted shortly after passing through Ijebu-Ode on Tuesday evening near Ijebu Awa, a boundary community between Ogun and Oyo states, and taken into a nearby forest. Among those seized was 24-year-old Olusoji Adedapo, also known as Dapo, who had recently completed his National Youth Service Corps programme in Edo State and was returning home to Ibadan after his passing-out ceremony. One passenger, identified as Tunde, managed to escape and alerted relatives that the bus had been attacked and its occupants taken away.

The family learnt of the abduction at about 7 p.m. on Tuesday when the escapee contacted them, after which the incident was reported at the Ijebu-Ode Police Station. Security personnel and local vigilantes were said to have commenced a search operation in the surrounding forest, while the abandoned commercial bus and the victims’ belongings were recovered and taken to the police station. Dapo’s sister, Abigael, said the family visited the station on Wednesday and was told to remain calm while operatives continued their efforts, but the victims had already spent two nights in captivity by Thursday.

The kidnappers later contacted the family using Dapo’s mobile phone and initially demanded ₦20 million for the release of the victims. During the call, the family briefly heard Dapo’s voice as he greeted his mother before the abductors collected the phone. The demand was later increased to ₦25 million during another call at about 6:59 p.m. on Wednesday, with the gunmen giving the families a 24-hour deadline to pay before Thursday. The family said it had only been able to raise about ₦700,000 and does not have the capacity to meet the demand.

The family has appealed to the Federal Government, security agencies and members of the public to intervene and secure the safe release of the victims. The Ogun State Police Command confirmed that some persons were abducted along the Ogun axis of the road and said investigations are ongoing, but clarified that none of those abducted was a serving corps member. The incident has renewed concerns over the safety of motorists and passengers travelling along major highways in the South-West, particularly routes connecting Ogun and Oyo states.