Kidnappers reduce N100m ransom on Kwara monarch’s wife, other victim

Gunmen, who killed Oba Olusegun Aremu-Cole, Olukoro of Koro-Ekiti in the Ekiti local government area of Kwara state and kidnapped his wife and another person last Thursday night have reduced N100m ransom placed on the abducted victims.

Tribune Online gathered on Sunday that the gunmen had reached out to the monarch’s family at the weekend for payment of N100 million ransom, which has now been reduced to N40 million for the release of the two captives.

It is recalled that Oba Olusegun Aremu-Cole was assassinated by suspected gunmen in his palace on Thursday night while his wife and another person were abducted.

Speaking with journalists on Sunday, the chairman of the Transition Implementation Committee (TIC) in the Ekiti local government council of Kwara state, Chief Kehinde Bayode, also said that a suspect was apprehended in Eruku town in the local government area on Sunday.

However, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state Police command, Toun Ejire-Adeyemi, did not confirm the arrest of any suspect, saying that no arrest had been made in connection with the incident.

“The CP has deployed a tactical team to Koro Ekiti to fish out the perpetrators. Policemen are working with other security agencies to free those that were abducted during the kidnapping incident. No arrests have been made yet. We are going to keep you abreast of the development as it unfolds.”

The council chairman, while speaking on efforts made to free the abducted wife of the monarch and the other person, said that “the kidnappers had got in touch with the family demanding for N100 million ransom which has now been reduced to N40 million. We are still negotiating with them and right now, I’m on my way to Koro to get the latest information on the negotiation. We will continue to brief you as the situation unfolds and we will keep you posted.”