Parents of the kidnapped pupils of Apostolic Faith Nursery and Primary School, Emure Ekiti, on Thursday, pleaded for their immediate rescue, lamenting that the children are without food and shelter since their abduction on Monday.
Daily Trust reports that the abductors of the five pupils and four staff of the school have placed a ransom of N100m on the victims. It was, however, learnt that the parents and other members of the community where the abduction took place have been able to raise N470,000.
A parent, Mr. Adebisi Jegede, whose wife (a teacher) and son are among the victims, said the abduction has led to depression for relatives of the students who are helpless in rescuing their loved ones from their captors.
While lamenting that he is worried about the health status of the victims, he said parents have been unable to raise the money demanded by the kidnappers.
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Another parent, whose 15-year-old son is with the captors, said the abduction was not the first in the town.
The proprietor of the school, Mr. Gabriel Adesanya, also said the pupils and staff of the school are being subjected to various maltreatment by the kidnappers.
Meanwhile, Ekiti State Police Command has arrested eight more suspects following the recent kidnapping of some school children in Emure-Ekiti and the killing of two traditional rulers in Ikole-Ekiti.
Ekiti Police Command, Public Relations Officer, DSP Sunday Abutu, said in order to ensure the rescue of the victims and the apprehension of the culprits, they deployed the Rapid Response Squad for a bush combing operation in collaboration with the military personnel, Amotekun Corps, vigilantes, local hunters, members of Agbekoya Group including policemen and Amotekun Corps from Ondo State.
According to Abutu, the operation, which was carried out through Emure-Ekiti Forest, Ise/Ogbese Forest to Emure-Ile Forest in Ondo State, eight suspect were arrested in the forest.
They are: Yaya Sumaila, Idrisu Abubakar, Hassan Abdullahi, Abdullahi Abdullahi, Haruna Abubakar, Usman Abdullahi, Haruna Sule, including one Babusa Alhaji Lede who was arrested inside Ayedun/ Ayebode Ekiti forest in Ikole area of the state.
DSP Abutu said the suspects are currently undergoing investigation and are giving credible information that could lead to the arrest of other fleeing suspects that perpetrated the dastard acts.
Exhibits recovered from the suspects are: one life cow, three cutlasses, one axe, one dagger including food items.
Abutu noted that the command will not rest until the fleeing hoodlums are made to face the full wrath of the law.
