In a shocking twist to a kidnapping case in Oreke, Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, a father who delivered ransom money to secure the release of his three abducted sons has instead been taken hostage by the kidnappersescaped, after the children had already escaped.
Security sources revealed that the three brothers were abducted last week while returning from a nearby town.
The abductors later contacted the family, demanding ₦7 million for the boys’ release.
Driven by desperation to save his sons, the father reportedly raised the money and went deep into the forest to meet the kidnappers at the agreed location.
However, unknown to him, the three boys had miraculously escaped captivity just before his arrival.
What should have been a joyful reunion turned tragic. Upon discovering the children were no longer in their custody, the kidnappers detained the father instead.
“They told him that since the children were no longer with them, he would now be held in their place,” a police source at the command headquarters in Ilorin told DAILY GAZETTE on condition of anonymity.
Following the incident, the abductors are said to have demanded a new ransom, reportedly higher than the original ₦7 million, as a condition for the father’s release.
It was gathered that the escaped siblings were at the police headquarters over the weekend to assist authorities with the investigation.
Security operatives have reportedly intensified efforts to locate the kidnappers’ hideout and secure the father’s release.
Attempts to reach the Kwara State Police Public Relations Officer, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, were unsuccessful as calls and text messages went unanswered as of press time.
However, a senior officer within the command confirmed the incident, saying that the matter, involving a ransom drop and a surprising development in the abduction case, was receiving “top-level attention.”
