Suspected gunmen, who abducted a bus driver, Felix Akinde, on Akure/Ikere road, have demanded N5 million ransom.
Akinde was abducted on Tuesday at a bad portion of a road close to the NYSC farm in Iju/Ita Ogbulu in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo state.
The driver, who was driving alone in his Toyota Privia space, from Ikere to Akure, the Ondo state capital, was seized by suspected gunmen around 5am.
The gunmen abandoned his vehicle by the roadside.
It was learnt that the abductors on Thursday established contact with the family and leaders of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) for the ransom.
Sources said men of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad of the 32 Artillery Brigade of the Nigeria Army in collaboration with other security agencies have launched a manhunt for the abductors in Iju forest.
A relative of Akinde said the kidnappers contacted the families through their telephone lines.
He said: “The kidnappers contacted us and demanded N5 million before they will release him. They said that he (driver) is in the bush with them and would only free him when we are ready to cooperate on the ransom.
“As I speak with you, they have already used two different telephone lines to contact us, demanding to know how much we have been able to raise.
“The amount is too much for us, and I don’t know where they want us to see such huge fund but we are still begging them.”
An executive member of NURTW in Ondo state said some funds were being raised with the families.
“We are pleading them to spare the life our colleague and we have promised to raise some funds with the family in order to set him free,” he said.
Ondo State Police Command Spokesman Femi Joseph said the officers of the command have already swung into action and would soon arrest the perpetrators.
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