Gunmen have abducted Olayinka Oremade and one of her staff members in Ogun State, demanding a staggering N100 million ransom for their freedom. The incident occurred on Friday, August 14, after the pair were ambushed while returning from Olayinka’s farm.
Olayinka’s son, Oremade Ilerioluwa, recounted the harrowing ordeal. He explained that his mother, who had gone to the farm to create content for her business, was driving back when four armed men suddenly appeared in front of their vehicle. In an attempt to escape, she tried to reverse, but three more gunmen emerged from the back and shot out the car’s tires. Stuck in the bush, Olayinka and one staff member were captured, while two other staff members managed to escape and later provided details of the ambush to the family.
The family promptly reported the abduction to the police the following day, visiting the Ajebo police station near the scene. However, police officers who searched the area reportedly found no sign of the victims, though they did recover Olayinka’s car and took the two escaped staff members in for questioning.
Late Saturday night, the alleged kidnappers contacted the family, initially demanding N200 million. Over several days of negotiation, this amount was reduced to N100 million. Oremade Ilerioluwa managed to speak directly with his mother, who urged him to reach out to relatives for financial help. Local hunters have also joined the search, but their efforts have not yet yielded results.
The psychological toll on the family is immense. One of Olayinka’s sons, who wished to remain anonymous, described the past five days as a living nightmare. "Every day we wake up hoping that today she will come back home, but there has been no action from the government," he lamented. He spoke of the constant dread with each phone call and the debilitating anxiety about his mother's well-being – whether she is scared, hungry, or unable to sleep.
This abduction has paralyzed the family’s daily life. "I can’t walk properly, I can’t think properly, I can’t even eat properly," the son confessed, highlighting the deep despair they are experiencing. He pleaded with the public for any information or influence that could help secure his mother’s release. "She’s my mum. She’s also a wife, a mother, a friend to people, and someone who means everything to us," he said, his voice heavy with emotion. "I’m pleading with anyone who can help, anyone who has information or any influence that can bring my mum back home. Please help us. We don’t want anything else.
We just want her back."
The family's plea extends to the Nigerian Police Force and the government, imploring them to intensify rescue efforts. They have made it clear that meeting the N100 million ransom is beyond their financial capabilities. "We need the help of the Nigerian police to put more hands on this matter and try and rescue them, because we have no way to be able to pay this ransom money," they stated, emphasizing their urgent need for government intervention to find the abductors.
Calls and text messages to the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Babaseyi Oluseyi, seeking comment on the allegations and an update on the rescue operation, had not been responded to by the time of this report.