Five gunmen, who stormed Araromi Village at Bakatari, a town in boundary with Ogun State, in Ido Local Government Area of Oyo State on Tuesday, June 22, 2021, abducting a traditional leader, Chief Tafa Apanpa and his wife, have demanded N50 million as ransom.
The gunmen, who rode on motorcycles, invaded the village at about 9pm while it was raining, shooting sporadically and making residents to scamper into safety.
They were to have spoken in Yoruba language, saying: “Baale da? Baale da?”, before ferrying the victims off.
It was learnt that the villagers started moving out of their residences out of fear of the abductors, just as local hunters and vigilante group members went into the forest in search of the abductees, in order to rescue them.
A credible source who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that the abductors made the demand for ransom on Wednesday.
Thenewsbearer learnt that the female abductee, who was made to speak with her son during the demand, told him that the abductors said that they were told before coming for the kidnap that the traditional leader was well-to-do.
A man who hails from the village, Kunle Alausa, had confirmed the incident to an online news medium on Wednesday, appealing to the state government to rescue the traditional chief.
Alausa had said: “We want the government to kindly come to our rescue. We cannot do it alone. Who is safe if traditional leaders are being kidnapped?”
Meanwhile, an unspecified number of cows were said to have been killed on Wednesday while some were injured, as people in a large number allegedly stormed Fulani camps at Ido motorcycles.
According to the narration of the herdsmen, the invading crowd started firing shots at the cows, causing their death.
Three Fulani herdsmen who escaped from the camp were said to have reported at Ido police station that they were attacked in the morning as they were waiting for sunrise to start cow grazing.
They were said to have also informed the cattle owners of their experience and loss.
It was further learnt that when youths got information that the Fulanis were seeking refuge at the police station, they mobilised and went there to attack the herdsmen, making the police to take them into protective custody.
