30th January, 2024
By Lawal/Idowu Ariwodola
Aside from killing two traditional rulers, kidnappers who invaded Ekiti State on Monday also abducted yet to be yet-to-be-specified number of pupils and their teachers.
The kidnappers reportedly ambushed the bus conveying pupils of Apostolic Faith Nursery/Primary School, in Emure-Ekiti on Monday evening at the neighbouring Eporo Ekiti town boundary where they took away the students and their teachers
The kidnapping of the pupils happened at about same time the kidnappers attempted to kidnap three Ekiti traditional rulers but later killed two of them.
One of the traditional rulers was said to have escaped the scene mysteriously.
Gov. Biodun Oyebanji confirmed the abduction of the children on Tuesday.
Oyebanji, through Mr Yinka Oyebode, his Special Adviser on Media and Strategy, urged for calmness, saying the state government would do everything humanly possible to rescue the pupils.
He urged citizens of the state not to despair over the kidnapping of the pupils and their teachers, assuring that efforts were on to get them rescued.
The governor’s statement also clarified that some pupils of the private school in Emure-Ekiti, along with their teachers, and the bus driver, were abducted while returning to Eporo- Ekiti, Monday evening.
The governor, who described the kidnapping of the pupils as callous and unacceptable, said nothing would be spared in the efforts to rescue them.
He assured that security agencies in the state were already on the trail of the abductors, with a mandate to bring the pupils and their teachers back safely.
He added that security was being stepped up across the state, with a view to flushing out criminal elements from their hideouts.
While calling on the citizens to remain calm and vigilant, he urged them to cooperate with security agencies, by making available relevant information to the authorities.
The police PPRO in the state, DSP Sunday Abutu, could not comment on the matter as he was engaged in an emergency security meeting with Gov. Oyebanji over the abduction.
The governor had engaged all security apparatuses in the state in an emergency meeting in response to the unfortunate situation.
(NAN)