Desperation In Imoga As Residents Fundraise For Kidnap Victims
By TOSI ORE
Community Scrambles as Kidnappers Demand ₦40m Ransom for Eight Abducted Edo Indigenes
RESIDENTS of Imoga community in Akoko Edo Local Government Area of Edo State are scrambling to raise funds after kidnappers threatened to kill eight community members abducted earlier this month unless a ₦40 million ransom is paid.
The victims were reportedly seized on January 9 at the Star Boy Hotel along Ibillo Road, a corridor residents say has increasingly become unsafe. Since the abduction, families and traditional authorities have been locked in desperate efforts to secure their release amid growing fears that the captors may carry out their threats.
The traditional ruler of Imoga community, Patrick Abudu, has mobilised town criers and community spokespersons to appeal for financial support across neighbouring communities and among concerned individuals. According to community leaders, the fundraising drive is a last resort aimed at saving the lives of the abducted persons.
Ransom Negotiations and Threats
Bode Ekundayo, coordinator of the Movement for the Advancement of Akoko Edo People, said the kidnappers initially demanded ₦100 million for the release of the eight victims. He said the amount was later reduced to ₦80 million and eventually to ₦40 million after prolonged negotiations.
Despite the reduction, Ekundayo noted that the amount remains far beyond what the families and the largely agrarian community can raise within a short period.
“The amount raked in so far is a far cry from the ₦40 million the kidnappers are demanding,” Ekundayo said. “They are unwilling to climb down further and are threatening to kill some of the victims to prove that they mean business.”
The threats, he added, have heightened tension across Imoga and surrounding settlements.
Rising Fear Among Residents
Ekundayo also disclosed that two community members, identified as Ojo and Abiodun Ekpo, narrowly escaped abduction while working on their farm days after the Imoga incident. The near-miss has intensified fears that kidnappers are operating freely in the area.
Residents say many farmers have abandoned their farmlands, while movement has drastically reduced after dusk, affecting livelihoods and daily routines.
Police Silence Raises Concerns
Efforts to obtain official confirmation from the Edo State Police Command have yielded limited results. Police spokesperson Eno Ikoedem reportedly requested details of the incident but did not respond after the information was forwarded to her.
The lack of official updates has fueled frustration among residents, who say they feel abandoned in the face of growing insecurity.
Part of a Wider Kidnap Crisis
The Imoga abduction adds to a troubling wave of kidnappings in Edo State this year. Earlier in January, two brothers were kidnapped in Auchi, with one reportedly killed by the abductors during ransom negotiations.
In recent months, residents in towns such as Ekpoma have staged protests over escalating kidnap-for-ransom attacks, accusing authorities of failing to curb the menace.
Nationally, kidnapping has evolved into a lucrative criminal enterprise. Data reported by this newspaper last year showed that Nigerians paid at least ₦2.57 billion in ransoms within a year, underscoring the scale of the crisis.
Communities Left to Negotiate Survival
Traditional institutions and families across Edo State are increasingly bearing the burden of negotiating with kidnappers, often resorting to grassroots fundraising to save loved ones.
Security analysts and civil society groups continue to urge state and federal authorities to strengthen intelligence gathering, policing, and community-based security measures to stem a crisis that threatens both social cohesion and economic stability.
