Gunmen Kidnap Two Farmers in Ondo, Demand N100 Million Ransom

Two farmers were abducted by armed assailants in the Parubber community of Ondo State, Nigeria, on Friday. The attackers emerged from nearby bushes, overpowered the victims, and took them away while they were working on their farm.

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Because we were not standing together, I saw him first. The attacker was masked and carrying an AK-47. Before I could raise an alarm, he had already moved toward Gbemi, and others emerged from different directions.

An eyewitness, Yemi Omowale, who narrowly escaped, described one of the masked assailants carrying an AK-47 rifle. He recounted how the attackers quickly accosted one of the victims, Adetan Gbemi, before others emerged from different directions. Omowale stated that the kidnappers also abducted another farmer, a woman whose identity remains unknown.

The abductors have contacted the wife of one of the victims, demanding a ransom of 100 million Nigerian naira (approximately $250,000 USD) for the farmers' safe return. "They still call the wife of the victim, asking her how much she has raised so far. We are begging the security agencies and the government to help us rescue our brother and sister unharmed," Omowale pleaded.

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They still call the wife of the victim, asking her how much she has raised so far. We are begging the security agencies and the government to help us rescue our brother and sister unharmed.

The incident has been reported to the Nigeria Police Force and the Ondo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun). The Ondo State Police Command spokesperson, Jimoh Abayomi, confirmed the report and stated that a joint security team, including police operatives, the Anti-Kidnapping Squad, local hunters, and vigilante groups, has been deployed. "Search and rescue operations are currently ongoing, with all available operational and intelligence resources being deployed to locate the victims and bring the perpetrators to justice," Abayomi said. He urged residents to remain calm and provide any credible information to aid the rescue efforts, reaffirming the command's commitment to the victims' safe return and the perpetrators' arrest.

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Search and rescue operations are currently ongoing, with all available operational and intelligence resources being deployed to locate the victims and bring the perpetrators to justice.

This incident follows a similar one about two weeks prior, where gunmen attempted to rob and kidnap a female motorist on the Ondo-Ile-Oluji road. The motorist escaped unharmed, and while police stated they were trailing the attackers, no updates have been provided to the public.

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We are begging the security agencies and the government to help us rescue our brother and sister unharmed.