Residents of Eda-Oniyo Community in Ilejemeje Local Government Area of Ekiti State have staged a peaceful protest, calling for urgent intervention from the state and federal governments, as well as security agencies, over the continued captivity of 16 kidnapped residents despite the payment of a ₦10.5 million ransom.

The protesters, comprising community leaders, relatives of the victims, women and youths, said the abductees had remained in captivity for 36 days, with the kidnappers now demanding an additional ₦50 million for their release.

The victims were abducted on April 28, 2026, when suspected bandits attacked a Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) during a service in the community. The attackers reportedly killed the presiding pastor and kidnapped 16 worshippers.

According to residents, the kidnappers initially demanded a ₦1 billion ransom, which was later reduced to ₦150 million before being further reduced to ₦50 million.

Speaking during the protest, a community leader, Ayodele Ajayi, said communication with the captives had continued intermittently, but efforts to secure their release had so far proved unsuccessful.

“Our people have been in captivity for 36 days. We contributed what we could as a community and paid ₦10.5 million, but the kidnappers refused to release them. Instead, they are demanding more money.

“There are 16 victims in total. Most of them are women, while two are young boys. We are pleading with governments at all levels to come to our aid and rescue our people,” he said.

Another resident, identified simply as Mrs Ajayi, appealed to the authorities to intensify efforts to secure the victims’ release, noting that children and elderly persons were among those being held.

“We have children as young as two and three years old and an elderly woman who is over 80 years old among those kidnapped. Families are suffering, and children keep asking for their mothers.

“We are begging the federal, state, and local governments to help secure their release. Women are crying, children are crying, and the entire community is in pain,” she said.

During the protest, a community representative, Ayodele Oni, said residents felt abandoned despite raising the ransom through collective efforts and supplying food items and other materials demanded by the kidnappers.

“We raised ₦10.5 million, supplied two bags of rice and several other items they requested, including fuel and cigarettes. Yet our people are still being held,” he said.

Oni described the process of delivering the ransom as traumatic, alleging that community representatives travelled through parts of Kwara and Kogi states and trekked deep into forests before handing over the money.

The community also called for the establishment of a security post in Eda-Oniyo and a military base along the boundary between Ekiti and Kwara states, arguing that inadequate security presence had made the area vulnerable to attacks by armed groups.

(Channels TV, but headline regigged)

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