By Rotimi Ojomoyela, Ado Ekiti

The unknown gunmen who kidnapped the Ekiti State Commissioner for Agriculture, Folorunso Olabode, have reduced the ransom to a sum of N15 million.

The captors had on Monday called the family and demanded a sum of N30 million ransom to secure the commissioner’s release.

Olabode and one other were abducted by unknown gunmen along Iludun-Isan road around 7.30 pm on Sunday.

A councillor and House Leader of the Ilejemeje local government area of the state and one of the occupants of the vehicle conveying the abductees was shot dead in the process.

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A family source confided in the newsmen in Ado Ekiti, on Wednesday that the ransom was reduced in the process of negotiating with the captors.

“The process of negotiation began on Monday and the initial request was a sum of N30 million. “But as of today, Wednesday, the captors had reduced the amount to N15 million.

” We are hoping that the Commissioner will be released soon because we are all concerned about his safety”, he said.

Commenting on the security measures being taken to secure Olabode’s release, the Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti Command, Mr Sunday Abutu, said the police and other security networks are on the trail of the bandits.

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Abutu added that the police and other security have begun serious stop and search along the route to ascertain the identities of commuters.

He said the police were not aware of any negotiation on the demand made by the abductors, assuring that every security measures would be put in place to secure Olabode’s release.

“We are not aware that the bandits were requesting for any ransom, we have not been told.

“The police have begun serious security checks in that axis. We have taken strict security measures and we are closing in on them”, he said.

Vanguard