Gunmen in military uniform kidnap 3 farm managers in Kwara

By Richard Elesho/ Lokoja

Some criminal elements have compounded the security challenges posed to Kwara by the simmering hijab crisis with the abduction of three farm managers in the State.

The kidnappers have made contacts and are demanding for N45 million ransom on the three victims.

The incident happened on Monday at Pampo community in Asa Local Government Area of the State.

Six heavily armed men in military uniform in a Toyota Hilux van invaded two farms in Eyenkirin area and picked the victims at gunpoint late afternoon on that day.

The suspected kidnappers reportedly got hold of the chief security officer in the first farm and locked him inside one room, before they took away the two farm workers in the first poultry farm.

The owner of the second farm, called Mirola farm, said that the bandits also abducted his farm manager when they visited the farm on their way out of the community.

The farm owner, who said that the suspected kidnappers had contacted other farm owners, added that they demanded a total sum of N45 million for the three people abducted, which he said is N15 million ransom for each person.

He said the people kidnapped are two males and a female, adding that the bandits spoke like Fulani, “in the way they spoke in Yoruba language when we talked on phone.

“On Monday at about 4:30pm six suspected kidnappers in Army uniform heavily armed with AK 47 rifles, abducted three farm managers in our farms They took two farm managers and on their way out of the first farm, they branched to my farm to take my own farm manager too, making three people kidnapped. Two males and one female”..

He said the matter had been reported to police, adding that the Police Intelligence had even discovered that the suspected kidnappers are still around a location in Lasoju community, in the local government area of the state.

“We have been contacted by them. They demanded N15 million each for the kidnapped people, making a sum of N45million. We begged them to take N1million for the three people, explaining that we’re poor farmers. They said we should go and get good money before release of our people”.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the state Police command, Ajayi Okasanmi who confirmed the incident, said that the state commissioner of Police, Mohammed Bagega, has drafted officers and men of the command on the incident, towards eventual release of the kidnapped victims. The PPRO assured that the kidnappers would soon be apprehended and the victims released to their families/