• Collect N6m ransom from 13 others

Gunmen who kidnapped a busload of passengers have killed two of the passengers after they became too weak to embark on the long trek into the forest. The other 13 passengers were released after they paid a combined N60 ransom.

Among the released survivors is Emmanuel Okonkwo, a 17-year-old boy who was kidnapped alongside 14 others at the Kabba axis of Kogi State on Sunday, November 9, 2025 while traveling from Lagos to Abuja.

Family sources quoted by Network newspaper disclosed that the teenager was traveling to Abuja to prepare for WAEC examinations when the bus was attacked by the kidnappers.

“The vehicle belonging to Andyliz Transport Company in which Okonkwo was traveling was attacked by the bandits in Kogi who took all 15 passengers into the bush.

“The bandits took the passengers into the bush, held them hostage and placed individual ransoms on them,” the paper said.

It quoted one source as saying that “it is the operational rule of the bandits not to hold captives for more than seven days, as they carry out immediate execution after a week.”

“The 17-year-old while narrating his ordeal to family members, said they were feeding them with rice and beans cooked without salt and indeed anything.

“The kidnap victims are fed once in a day and they drink from the dirty water in the forest where they were held for days,” the report said.

It disclosed that security formations in Kogi advised family members of the victims to immediately raise the ransom dismissing the possibility of security operations to set them free.

“After days of pleading and a gruelling process of negotiation, the bandits agreed to place a ransom of N80 million on the abducted passengers which was negotiated down to N60 million.

“They gave an ultimatum of seven days to the worried family members to raise the money in months or risk losing them.

“The terrorists were said to have given the condition that the money for the demanded ransom be delivered to them with the same company bus that was attacked.

“They also insisted that the money be delivered in six packs of N1,000 notes,” the report said.

It quoted one of the sources as saying: “In fact, what we were told is that when they kidnap anybody in that Kogi axis, the issue of rescue is completely ruled out. Even the security people will tell you that you have to raise the ransom to get your person out.

“The kidnappers asked us to bring six bags and put the money, N10m, in each bag in N1,000 denomination only.

“They were very mean. On three occasions they cocked gun to shoot Emmanuel Okonkwo but later dropped the gun. One of them chased him around with a knife to stab him on several occasions in the bush, that the knife nearly cut off his hand.

“And they demanded that the ransom be delivered using the same company bus. One of their drivers did the delivery as they called that they wanted only one person to come.”

The Network said that while the negotiations were going on, “the kidnappers kept moving the victims around Obeiba Ihima, Kogi; Along Ikowa Road, Near Transformer, Kabba, Kogi State; Around Okebuku-Bunu area of Kogi State and a Piece of Land Belonging to Hon. Joel Oye, Behind Nta Tower, Kabba-Ayetoro Road, Okegbo, Kogi State.”