One of the travellers kidnapped on Saturday along the Emure-Eporo Road in Emure, Ekiti State, has been killed, PUNCH Metro gathered on Wednesday.
The victim, identified as Shile Ogunmolasuyi, a recent secondary school graduate, was abducted alongside her mother, Mrs Yemi Ogunmolasuyi.
The kidnappers later released Yemi and another woman, Caroline Taiwo, whose husband, Oluwole Taiwo, was killed during the abduction last week Wednesday.
According to family members, who spoke with our correspondent on Wednesday, the victims were released after a N10m ransom was paid.
A community leader in Emure, who spoke with one of the victims, said Shile was killed after being repeatedly raped, which left her unable to walk.
“The kidnappers made them walk for 24 hours nonstop without food or water. Shile, who had been raped several times, became too weak to continue and was subsequently killed by the kidnappers,” the community leader said.
The victims were abducted around 5:30 PM on Saturday near Oyimo River, along the Emure-Eporo Road.
The kidnappers shot and killed Taiwo Oluwole, who was driving the car transporting the victims to Akure after an event in Emure.
Sources revealed that the kidnappers initially demanded a N30m ransom around 8 PM on Sunday.
However, the families were able to raise N10m, which was delivered at a spot on the Owo-Ikare-Benin Road in Owo, Ondo State.
The captives were later released around 1:30 AM on Wednesday in Owo.
“Efforts are reportedly underway to locate Shile’s body and recover her remains”, said one of the family members.
The Secretary of Emure Progressives Association, Niyi Awopetu, confirmed the release of the victims, stating, “Two people were released at midnight, but a girl among them was killed. I learnt the kidnappers collected N10m ransom.”
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Sunday Abutu, did not respond to calls or messages from our correspondent seeking his reaction to the development.
PUNCH Metro reported that some pupils and teachers of Apostolic Faith Children School were kidnapped at the same spot on January 29.
Five pupils, three female teachers and a driver of the school bus were kidnapped.
Mrs Atinuke, wife of a retiree, Albert Adanikin, was also kidnapped on July 13 around the same area.
