The bandits responsible for abducting 38 worshippers from the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) in Eruku, Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, have reportedly placed a ransom of N100 million on each victim.
The kidnappers have begun contacting the families of those taken during the church service on Tuesday. Chief Olusegun Olukotun, a community leader and Olori Eta of Eruku, confirmed to LEADERSHIP on Thursday that four of his relatives were among those abducted.
Olukotun, who said he was at the church with five family members during the attack, explained that he and one of his wards managed to escape around 6:06 p.m. through a church window.
He added that the kidnappers have been grouping victims by family relations and making ransom demands accordingly.
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“From what we gathered from the kidnappers’ camp, they (kidnappers) have grouped the victims according to their relations and are now calling our people through each of the group. Some people in the community have received calls from the kidnappers demanding N100m for each person but as regard my own people I have not receive any call concerning them, so I am still waiting,” he said.
Expressing gratitude to the government, particularly Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRahman, for their support following the attack, Olukotun also called for enhanced security measures in Eruku, a border community.
He emphasized the need to strengthen the local vigilante group with more sophisticated weaponry capable of matching the kidnappers in case of future attacks, to better protect lives and property.