Students Protest Abduction Of 2 In Ogun Church As Kidnappers Demand N50m Ransom

Students of D.S. Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic in Itori, Ewekoro local government area of Ogun State, on Tuesday, stormed the Abeokuta-Sango-Ota expressway to protest the kidnapping of two worshippers, who were abducted from their church on Monday night at Wasimi axis of the area.

The protest, which lasted about three hours, resulted in traffic gridlock along the ever-busy expressway as the protesting students barricaded the road, chanting anti-government songs, to express their displeasure over what they described as “gross insecurity” in the area.

LEADERSHIP gathered that gunmen had on Monday night invaded the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC), SBJ Oshofa Parish, located at Wasimi area of Ewekoro LGA, where two worshippers were abducted.

A source at the community where the incident occurred identified the two victims as an Assistant Shepherd of the parish, Oluwaseun Ajose and one of the Sunday School teachers in the church, Dagunro Ayobami.

Shepherd of the parish, Oluwatomisin Ehuwaojomo, who confirmed the incident, disclosed that the hoodlums numbering four, stormed the church, located in an isolated area of Wasimi village, along the expressway around 11pm on Monday night, and took away the victims.

Shepherd Ehuwaojomo further disclosed that the kidnappers have established contact with the church and demanded N50million ransom.

“When my assistant called me almost two hours after they left, the kidnappers initially refused to speak with me but on his third attempt, they spoke with me and requested for N50 million ransom,” he said.

Meanwhile, the failed efforts of the combined team of security operatives, the hunters and the local vigilance guards, which combed the forest in area, in search of the abductees, however, informed why the students resorted to protest, claiming their school, which is in the neighbourhood of the attack could be the next target of the kidnappers.

When contacted, Ogun State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the incident, but added that the command has since deployed all operatives of its tactical units to go after the kidnappers and ensure that they rescue the victims.