Armed kidnappers holding eight residents of Imoga community in Edo State hostage have issued a chilling threat to execute their captives. The abductors are angered by the failure to meet their ransom demand, which has now been reduced to forty million naira.
Community Desperation as Ransom Deadline Looms
The victims were initially seized on January 9, 2026, from the Star Boy Hotel located along the Ibillo Road in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area. According to a statement from Dr. Bode Ekundayo, Coordinator of the Movement for the Advancement of Akoko-Edo People, the kidnappers have made it clear they "meant business" with their deadly ultimatum.
The coordinator detailed how the ransom negotiations have unfolded. The gunmen first demanded ₦100 million, later lowering it to ₦80 million, and finally to ₦40 million. Despite this reduction, the sum remains catastrophically high for the affected families and the wider Imoga community.
In a desperate bid to gather funds, the community's Royal Father, Oba Patrick Abudu, on January 15, 2026, dispatched town criers and spokesmen to go from house to house. Their mission was to collect whatever money residents could spare, "sweeping kobos and nairas together" in a communal effort. Unfortunately, the amount raised falls devastatingly short of the kidnappers' demand.
Narrow Escape Highlights Ongoing Danger
As the ransom crisis deepens, the community faced another kidnapping attempt on the same day the funds were being collected. Two brothers, Ojo and Abiodun Ekpo, were attacked while working on their farm.
The kidnappers first captured Ojo Ekpo in one section of the farm. His younger brother, Abiodun, unaware of the attack, called out for him before riding his motorcycle to search the area. He was then ambushed by the waiting assailants but managed to flee, abandoning his bike in the process.
Community vigilantes and youths immediately mobilized for a search and rescue operation. In a turn of fortune, Ojo Ekpo managed to escape from his captors at midnight, bringing immense relief to his family and neighbors.
Royal Father's Plea and Government Inaction
Oba Patrick Abudu revealed that the current spate of kidnappings is not a sudden development. He stated that the community had, since last year, alerted both the state and local government about a grave security threat.
The traditional ruler reported the illegal occupation of Imoga land by suspected bandits, herders, and kidnappers, warning of the direct threat to peace and security. He has now sent a save-our-soul (SOS) message to all tiers of the Nigerian government.
Faced with a perceived lack of adequate state response, the community is resolved to confront the security scourge frontally, using all the wisdom and resources at their disposal. The situation in Imoga underscores a growing pattern of rural insecurity where citizens are left to fend for themselves against well-armed criminal elements.
