Abductors Demand ₦100 Million for Five Women, Including Pregnant and Nursing Mothers, in Ekiti

A gang of kidnappers is demanding a ransom of ₦100 million for the safe return of five women, which includes a pregnant woman and a nursing mother, who were abducted in Erinmope-Ekiti, within the Moba Local Government Area of Ekiti State.

During a recount of the traumatic event on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, Muhammad Saliu Okanlawon, the head of the affected family, revealed that the assailants raided their home on Saturday evening, forcibly taking five of his family's members from their community, which shares borders with Kwara State.

The 60-year-old cattle trader identified the victims as the wives and children of his younger brother and son.

He named the victims as Kehinde Mahmud, Adijat Hussein, Hawawu Suleiman, Fatima, and another individual also called Fatima.

Mahmud described the shocking event, stating that the attack unfolded around 7:00 p.m., when the gunmen invaded their residence, firing shots to incite panic among the family members.

He stated that security forces were promptly notified, and they responded quickly.

According to him, the male relatives were away at the mosque during the incident, so nothing seemed out of the ordinary until it was revealed post- attack that five female family members had been abducted.

“I must applaud the rapid action taken by security agents. A collaborative team from the police, Civil Defence, Amotekun Corps, and other groups mobilized and attempted to track the kidnappers, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Even the Area Commander visited the scene,” he noted.

Mahmud mentioned that the kidnappers had deviated from their usual route through Osin in Kwara State, and he suspected they blended into the local community to evade detection.

The distressed family head reported that they had only received one communication from the kidnappers since the abduction on Saturday night, reiterating their demand for a ransom of ₦100 million without any follow-up.

“They contacted us just once to demand ₦100 million, and we haven't heard from them since. We are appealing to the government for assistance,” he urged.

Expressing the family's despair, he stated, “We genuinely do not know what steps to take next. One of the victims is about to give birth; the distress she must be experiencing is unimaginable. This is an extremely painful situation for us.”

Mahmud characterized the incident as unusual and unprecedented for their community, pointing out that such atrocities had never been recorded in Erinmope-Ekiti before.

He remarked, “We have resided in this region for over 70 years, despite being originally from Kwara State. Erinmope has been our sole home, and we have never encountered anything like this previously.”

Additionally, Mahmud lamented the family’s inability to gather the substantial sum requested, underscoring that meeting the ₦100 million ransom demand was far beyond their financial capacity.

A community leader, who requested anonymity, corroborated the occurrence while indicating that law enforcement agencies have been activated to work towards the safe release of the captives.