Abductors Of Kogi State Varsity Students Insist On N10million Ransom, Issue Deadly Ultimatum – Family

The abductors initially sought N50 million but reduced their demand to N10 million following the families’ appeals.

The abductors of Isaac Babalola and Joel Emmanuel Bamiyo, students of Kogi State University, have threatened to kill them unless a N10million ransom is paid.

The students, from the Public Administration Department, were kidnapped last week along the Okene-Kabba road, a site previously associated with another kidnapping involving the caretaker committee chairman of the Kabba Bunu LGA.

The abductors initially sought N50 million but reduced their demand to N10 million following the families’ appeals.

Shadrach Idowu Babalola, one of the students’ fathers, detailed that the kidnappers had repeatedly called, insisting on immediate ransom payment.

Speaking with Daily Trust, he said, “Anytime they (kidnappers) called and ask for N50million, and we tell them we don’t have such amount, they tell us we are not serious about the lives of our wards.”

The father of Joel Emmanuel Bamiyo noted that the ransom demand was decreased to N5 million per student but the abductors stressed the necessity of paying N10 million or facing severe consequences.

“The last time they called, and we told them what we can afford, they told us point blank to take the money and buy Maggi to make soup for ourselves,” he said.

Both families have urged the state government and security forces to act swiftly to ensure their children’s release. Meanwhile, Kogi Police Command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Williams Aya, stated that the police were not informed of the kidnapping.

He mentioned that neither the students’ families nor the institution reported the incident to the authorities. Efforts to contact the university were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.