The family of a staff with the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), Mr Seun Emmanuel, kidnapped along Owo-Ifon road has appealed to management of the company to secure the release of their son.
Emmanuel, a driver with the company and his boss, Andrew Okojie, Product Manager, Postpaid for BEDC Electricity Plc in Ondo Region, were attacked by kidnappers while returning to Akure Monday evening after an official trip to Ifon in Ose local governmemt area of the state.
They ran into some gunmen who barricaded the road before Elegbeka town along the Owo-Ifon road and shot at their BEDC branded Hilux truck which made the driver to lose control after his tyre was hit by a bullet. The vehicle summersaulted into the bush.
The driver was whisked away into the bush by the abductors after his boss, Okojie fell unconscious and was believed to have died by the gunmen.
It was gathered that soldiers manning the checkpoint before Elegbeka community rushed to the scene immediately they heard about the incident and were able to rescue Mr Okojie.
They took him to their base from where he was later reunited with BEDC and his family members.
But Emmanuel his driver was not lucky as he was taken into captivity by the kidnappers who are now demanding a ransom of ₦100 million from his family.
The kidnappers established contact with the family of Emmanuel Tuesday morning and demanded the sum of ₦100m but later reduced it to ₦20 million and threatened to kill him if their demand is not met.
The abductors, according to a family source, as at Thursday morning reduced the ransom to N10 million.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ondo state command, DSP Funmilayo Odunlami, confirmed the incident saying the command’s anti-kidnapping unit has taken over the case.