The Authority of a faith based private school, The Apostolic Faith Nursery and Primary School, Emure Ekiti, Ekiti State has confirmed that its pupils have been kidnapped. PrimeStar News gathered that the kidnappers abducted six pupils and three teachers of the school.
According to News Arena, the pupils were kidnapped on Monday, January 29, 2024, around 5 pm when the school bus conveying them was returning to Eporo Ekiti, a town after Emure Ekiti.
The Authority of the Church was quoted saying that some pupils, the school Bus driver and an helper were kidnapped by gunmen and called for prayers to ensure timely release of the victims.
Confirming the kidnapping incident, the Ekiti State Government issued a statement calling on residents not to lose hope, assuring them that efforts are underway to secure the safe return of the abducted children and their teachers.
The Statement reads, “The Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji has urged the citizens of the state not to despair over Monday’s kidnapping of some school pupils and their teachers in Emure-Ekiti, assuring that efforts are on to get the children and their teachers rescued”.
The state government revealed that security agencies are actively pursuing the abductors with the primary goal of bringing the kidnapped pupils and their teachers back unharmed. Governor Oyebanji emphasised that security measures are being intensified nationwide to eliminate criminal elements from their hideouts.
Earlier, on the same day, gunmen suspected to be kidnappers killed two kings on the Ipao-Oke Ako Road, in the state.
The gunmen killed the Onimojo of Imojo in the Oye Local Government Area, Oba Olatunde Olusola, and the Elesun of Esun Ekiti in the Ikole Local Government Area, Oba Babatunde Ogunsakin, while the Alara of Ara Ekiti, Oba Adebayo Fatoba in the Ikole Local Government Area, escaped.
Sources said the traditional rulers were returning from a function in Kogi State when their vehicles ran into the suspected kidnappers, who had laid an ambush on the road.
According to sources, while the bandits chased the Alara in a bid to kidnap him, the two other monarchs also attempted to escape but were shot by the gunmen.
The Chairman of the Ajoni Local Council Development Area, Micheal Ogungbemi, in whose domain the incident took place, said that the dead bodies of the two obas had been recovered from the scene and taken to a mortuary.
The council boss explained that information indicated that the traditional rulers, who were coming from Kogi State, were attacked in the Oke Ako area.
