Kidnapping: Ogun Business Woman , 3 Children Regains Freedom After Days In Captivity.

 

A businesswoman, Funmilola Eniola Oyewale and her 3 children, Oyewale Ayodeji Samuel, 12 years old, Oyewale Oreoluwa Racheal, 7years old and Oyewale Ezekiel Okikola, 4 years old, who were abducted on Sunday, August 13th, 2023 by gunmen in Atan community, Ota district in Ado Odo Ota local government, Ogun State, has regained their freedom after payment of N55m ransom.

The husband, Ayokunle Oyewale told our correspondent on Tuesday, 24th of August, 2023 that the kidnappers demanded a N100m ransom but later reduced it to N55m.

A senior member of the family also confirmed that the husband later negotiated with the kidnappers and paid N55m to secure the release of his wife and 3 children who were earlier kidnapped on Sunday night at the entrance of their residence while returning from an outing.

According to her husband, “She was released in a border town between the Republic of Benin and Nigeria on Monday, 23rd of August, 2023 after spending ten days with the kidnappers. They hid her in a bush between Nigeria and the Republic of Benin.

“Initially, they requested N100m, later they reduced it to N70m before further negotiations was made and later, they reduced it to N55m which the husband agreed on after the kidnappers had threathened to kill the wife and three children if the money was not made available within seven days. The husband explained that he was unable to raise the ransome after the seven days ultimatum and had to plead with the kidnappers for five more days before the money was eventually raised three days later which was the tenth day his family had been with the kidnappers.

According to the husband, he said it was difficult to raise the ransom paid as he had to sell some of his valuable properties before he could raise the ransom but that he was happy that his wife and children came back alive.

Speaking with the victim, Mrs Funmilola Oyewale narrated her ordeal in the hands of the kidnappers. She said on getting to the unknown destination, , the kidnappers tied her face and that of her children before ordering them out of the car. 

"They ordered us to sit on the floor and warned us not to try any nasty act else they will waste us all. On hearing this, fear gripped me as i thought the end has come for me and my children.

"On the second day, they untied my face and gave me phone to call my husband and tell him that they wanted 100 million Naira for our release. I i did as i was ordered and immediately after i told my husband about the ransom fee, they seized the phone from me without allowing me speak further.  After the third day with the kidnappers, they took my first child away from where i was and threatened that if they don't get their money within 12 hours, they would kill my son. At that point, i began to weep bitterly and Was begging them not to kill my child. I was denied access to my child for 3 days and at a point, i heard gunshot and thought they killed my child already. Some minutes after the gunshot, one of those that kidnapped us came to tell me that they had fired a warning shot because my husband did not want to pay what the requested and that if they are to fire another shot, my child would be dead. At that point, i asked them to please allow me speak with my husband a plea which they granted and in bitter tears, i spoke with him pleading with him to act fast on their demand. 

"At every interval they beat me and my children and treated us like animals. They only gave us water once in a day and what they gave us to eat was bread. On 23rd of August 2023, the kidnappers toldme that they will release us that day because my husband had paid our ransom fee as requested. Then they ordered us to stand up and followed them. We were made to trek for almost two hours. I felt very sorry for my kids because they were exhausted and even myself had no strength any longer. Finally, we got to a place in the bush and were asked to stay there that my husband will pick us from there. About 1hour later, i saw my husband who was also in a panic mode and told us to hurry up and leave the bush from where he drove us to our family hospital.

When asked maybe he suspected anyone, the husband said he may have suspected his former local security officer who had worked as his private security in their residence sometimes ago. He stated that sometime in October 2021, he had disagreement with the security guy for negligence of duty and that led to his sack and that after he was sacked, the security guy arranged with some other guys who made unsuccessful attempt then to kidnap his wife. Unlucky for the security officer, he was nabbed while his colleagues escaped.

The husband also said in November 2021, he wrote a petition to the then inspector general of police Alkali Baba, informing the then IG of threat to his life and that of his family after it was discovered that his former security officer tried to kidnap his wife in conivance with some people in the community.

The husband said he didn’t involve the police this time because of the warning of the kidnappers that if he involved the police, his wife and three children will be killed.