Families of 10 travellers abducted at Ijebu Awa, a boundary community between Ogun and Oyo states, have raised the alarm after their abductors reportedly demanded N25m for their release.

Among the victims is 24-year-old Olusoji Adedapo, a former member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), who was travelling from Benin City, Edo State, to Ibadan when the incident occurred on Tuesday.

Also read: BHM names new leaders as Group marks 20 years

Adedapo reportedly completed his national service in Edo State the previous week and was returning home with a friend, identified as Tunde, when gunmen attacked their vehicle.

His cousin, Adeseye Timilehin, said the family was thrown into distress after learning of the abduction, particularly as the kidnappers initially gave them a 24-hour deadline to pay the ransom.

Timilehin explained that Adedapo had been updating relatives about his journey until he sent a video showing traffic congestion along the route. The message turned out to be their last communication before the attack.

According to him, the family learnt about the incident shortly after 7pm on Tuesday when Tunde, who reportedly escaped, contacted another relative.

Timilehin said Adedapo and Tunde had served together during their NYSC programme and were travelling together when the incident happened.

He said the journey began in Benin City on Tuesday morning, but traffic delays meant the passengers did not leave the congested area until about 3pm.

The passengers reportedly urged the driver to return to Benin and continue the journey the following day because it was getting late. However, the driver allegedly insisted on proceeding.

By about 7pm, when the vehicle reached the Ijebu area, the gunmen reportedly appeared and attacked the travellers.

Timilehin said Tunde told him that the driver swerved into the bush and stopped after seeing the armed men, forcing the passengers to flee.

“He told me that when the driver swerved into the bush and stopped, the bandits immediately jumped in front of their bus.

He had to hide in the bush while the rest ran for safety and were captured. He was able to escape, but my brother and the others were taken away,” he said.

The family subsequently contacted Tunde, who reportedly told them that police officers arrived at the scene, rescued him and took him to a police station, where he spent the night.

He also informed the family that police officers and local vigilantes had launched a search operation in the surrounding forest that night, but the effort did not immediately produce any breakthrough.

On Wednesday morning, Adedapo’s mother, aunt and a family friend travelled from Ibadan to Awa-Ijebu to seek information about the victims.

Timilehin said they were informed that security operatives and local vigilantes had searched the forest following the attack, but the victims had not been found.

The family was subsequently advised to return home and await further contact from the abductors. Adedapo’s luggage was also handed over to his relatives.

However, while returning to the motor park, the family received its first call from the kidnappers, who demanded N20m for the victims’ release.

Timilehin said Adedapo’s mother broke down in tears and pleaded with the abductors, explaining that the family could not afford the amount.

The kidnappers reportedly allowed the relatives to speak briefly with Adedapo, confirming that he was still alive.

The demand was later increased to N25m during another call after the family returned to Ibadan.

Timilehin said the abductors ended the conversation after communicating the new amount and switched off the telephone number, leaving the family without further contact until Thursday morning.

He said the kidnappers subsequently called Adedapo’s mother to ask whether the family had raised the money.

During another conversation, the abductors reportedly allowed Adedapo to speak with his mother and urged her to contact his elder brother for assistance.

Adedapo also called Timilehin directly, pleading with him to mobilise friends and well-wishers to help raise the ransom.

Timilehin said he informed his cousin that the family was making efforts but had not secured enough money.

He disclosed that the family had managed to raise only N700,000 when Adedapo called to ask how much had been collected.

“I told him that we had only been able to raise N700,000. His voice was shaking throughout the conversation as he pleaded with me to contact everybody I could to help us raise the money,” Timilehin said.

The family said Adedapo called again later on Thursday evening to ask about the fundraising efforts.

Timilehin told him that no additional money had been raised since their previous conversation.

The repeated calls have reportedly heightened the relatives’ anxiety as they struggle to meet the ransom demand and secure the victims’ release.

Timilehin described Adedapo as a close family member and said relatives were seeking financial assistance from friends and other well-wishers.

The family appealed for urgent intervention to secure the release of Adedapo and the other abducted travellers, expressing concern over the kidnappers’ continued demands.

Meanwhile, the Ogun State Police Command said investigations into the abduction were ongoing.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaeyi Ogunnaike, said the command was working to establish the circumstances surrounding the attack and secure the release of the abducted victims.

Also read: BHM names new leaders as Group marks 20 years

The police also clarified that none of those abducted was a serving NYSC member, despite unconfirmed reports suggesting that some of the passengers were corps members.