Kidnappers detain pastor’s wife ransom bearer, demand N5m in Kwara

Abductors of the wife of Pastor Johnson Ajiboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Kwara State, Mrs Bola Ajiboye, have detained a man sent to deliver the ransom to them.

They, however, released the woman.

Mrs Ajiboye was kidnapped in her shop at Elerinjare community in the Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State last Thursday when gunmen invaded the town.

Sources disclosed that the woman was released by her abductors on Wednesday after the payment of N1m ransom along with foodstuffs and other items demanded by the kidnappers.

An elder in the community, however, said the middle-aged man who went to deliver the ransom to the kidnappers was detained.

The elder, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said the kidnappers had got in contact with the community and demanded that N5m be paid before the messenger would be released.

He said, “We are sad in Elerinjare community because of the news emanating from our town. Our people now live in fear because of the recent kidnapping. Elerinjare is a journey of 45 minutes to Ilorin; I have been invited to attend a meeting at home on how we are going to raise money for the release of the man who went to deliver the ransom for the release of the pastor’s wife. But I have a fear of how to get to the town. The kidnappers are demanding the sum of N5m as ransom from the community; how do we raise such an amount now?”

He said Mrs Ajiboye had relocated to a private facility in the community to rest.

Mrs Ajiboye was kidnapped around 9pm last Thursday.

During the operation at her house, one of her daughters escaped miraculously amid sporadic gunshots, while a man reportedly sustained gunshot injuries from the kidnappers.

The spokesman for the state police command, SP Okasanmi Ajayi, said he had yet to be briefed on the development.

(Punch)