Pastor Femi Akinniyi, who is the pastor in charge of Christ Gospel Apostolic Church, Oke-Yidi Road, Modakeke, Osun State, has been freed by his abductors after a ransom of N650,000 was paid.
According to New Telegraph, Akinniyi was driving along Wasimi via Gbongan on Ife-Ikire-Ibadan Expressway four days ago when he was waylaid and abducted by a 10-man gang that comprised nine Fulani herdsmen and one Yoruba person that acted as mouthpiece in ransom negotiations.
The pastor’s Toyota Corolla vehicle was reportedly riddled with bullets by the abductors who also shattered his windscreen with their guns and dragged him out.
They subsequently removed his car keys, collected his phones and marched him into their den.
The report quoted Akinniyi’s friends as saying that he was tortured by the abductors, who initially demanded millions of naira in ransom but eventually brought it down to N650,000 upon seeing that their initial demand could not be met.
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The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), other notable pastors and Akinniyi’s associates were said to have played key roles in securing his release.
“Pastor Akinniyi told me that his abductors comprised of nine herdsmen and a Yoruba person, who understood their language. The Yoruba guy stood in their midst and was their mouthpiece for negotiation of ransom,” the paper quoted an unnamed source as saying.
The Osun State Police Command has yet to comment on the incident.
An orthopedic surgeon at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Prof. Olayinka Adegbehingbe, who was kidnapped in May, told newsmen that he was abducted by men of Fulani extraction and paid N5.045 million as ransom.