The family of a 78-year-old farmer, Joel Adeyemo, has raised alarm after kidnappers demanded a ₦60 million ransom for his release following his abduction in Ondo State.
Adeyemo was reportedly kidnapped last Monday evening while working on his farm in Ofosu, a community in the state.
According to his son, Taiwo Adeyemo, the elderly farmer failed to return home as expected, prompting the family to report his disappearance to the police.
Two days after the incident, the abductors contacted the family and demanded ₦60 million before they would release him.
“He went to the farm as usual but didn’t return. We became worried and reported to the police. Two days later, the kidnappers called and demanded ₦60 million,” Taiwo said.
He added that despite the family’s plea for a reduction in the ransom, the kidnappers insisted on the full amount during a follow-up call.
The situation has left the family deeply distressed, particularly due to Adeyemo’s age and the uncertainty surrounding his health and condition in captivity.
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“We don’t have that kind of money. We’ve even put up his farm and other properties for sale, but no buyer yet. We are very worried because of his age,” he added.
Taiwo also expressed frustration over what he described as a lack of visible action from security agencies, despite reporting the case to both local authorities in Ondo State and the anti-kidnapping unit in Abuja.
“I’ve contacted security agencies, but there’s no clear effort on ground. We are appealing to the police, the Army, Amotekun, and all relevant authorities to help rescue our father,” he said.
Reacting to the development, the spokesperson for the Ondo State Police Command, Abayomi Jimoh, condemned the abduction and assured that efforts were ongoing to secure the victim’s safe release.
“The command has initiated coordinated operations and deployed additional personnel to the area. We are committed to ensuring the victim is rescued unharmed and that the perpetrators are brought to justice,” Jimoh stated.
Kidnapping for ransom continues to pose a major security challenge in Ondo State and across Nigeria, with many victims only regaining freedom after the payment of large sums.
Security analysts have linked the rising trend to factors such as unemployment, proliferation of small arms, and insider collaboration, which often complicate rescue operations.
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