Three kidnapped men freed after parting with N31 Million ransom in Oyo

Three men abducted on Sunday in Longe village, Oyo State, along the Ibadan-Ijebu-Ode road, have been released after paying a ransom of N31 million.

The victims, Emmanuel Olalere, Gbenga Idowu, and Segun Afolabi, were freed around 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday.

The kidnappers demanded and received varying amounts: N20 million from Olalere, N10 million from Afolabi, and N1 million from Idowu.

Sources reported that the abductors insisted on N20 million from Olalere after seeing an alert of that amount in his bank account.

Olalere, a farmer in Ogun State, had received the money from a buyer for the purchase of cocoa seeds.

Angered by his claim of being a poor farmer, the kidnappers severely beat him with teak logs.

During their captivity, the victims were blindfolded, causing severe eye pain, and were deprived of food and water.

Upon their release, Olalere and Idowu were taken home by family members, while Afolabi was hospitalized due to his condition. Afolabi suffered the most brutal treatment, as the kidnappers were enraged by his assertion of poverty.

The incident occurred while the men, all Ibadan natives and farmers in Ogun State, were traveling to the Oyo State capital.

They were ambushed by seven armed men, led by a masked individual dressed in black, who fired shots to halt their vehicle.

Despite Olalere’s attempt to reverse, the gang, armed with AK-47 rifles, cutlasses, and daggers, surrounded the vehicle, forcing them to stop.