Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti
Abductors of Ekiti State Commissioner for Agriculture, Folorunso Olabode, have reduced the ransom to N15 million.
Olabode’s captors had on Monday called the family and demanded N30 million ransom to secure the commissioner’s release.
Olabode and another person were abducted by gunmen, while a councilor of Ilejemeje local government area conveying the abductees was shot dead along Iludun-Isan road around 7.30pm last Sunday.
A family source confided in newsmen in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, saying that the ransom was reduced in the process of negotiating with the captors.
“The process of negotiation began on Monday and the initial request was a sum of N30 million. But as of today, Wednesday, the captors had reduced the amount to N15 million.
“We are hoping that the commissioner will be released soon because we are all concerned about his safety,” he said.
Commenting on measures being taken to secure Olabode’s release, the police public relations officer in the state, Mr. Sunday Abutu, said the police and other security agencies are on the trail of the bandits.
Abutu added that the police and other security agencies have begun serious stop and search along the route to ascertain the identities of commuters.
He said the police were not aware of any negotiation on the demand made by the abductors, assuring that every security measure would be put in place to secure Olabode’s release.
“We are not aware that the bandits were requesting for any ransom, we have not been told.
“The police have begun serious security checks in that axis. We have taken strict security measures and we are closing in on them,” he said.