Bandits have released the remaining three residents of Olle-Bunu community in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State who were abducted earlier this year, after collecting three motorcycles as additional ransom.
The bandits released the victims on Saturday after days of negotiations with representatives of the community, according to a local community newspaper, Egbe Mekun Parrot.
The platform said the kidnappers had earlier released some of the abducted residents but continued to hold the remaining three, insisting on further payments despite earlier ransoms allegedly paid by families and community members.
“The negotiations dragged on for days before the final conditions were met,” the platform reported, adding that the release was secured only after the delivery of the motorcycles demanded by the kidnappers.
Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area has witnessed repeated attacks and abductions in recent months, with residents complaining of growing insecurity and what they described as limited and inconsistent security presence in many rural communities. The money was reportedly contributed by families of the victims, community leaders, and other residents after days of negotiations with the kidnappers.
At the time, fears remained over the safety of the three other captives who were still being held, despite the payment of the earlier ransom.
Efforts to get a response from the Kogi State Police Command on the latest release were unsuccessful, as calls to the command’s spokesperson were not answered at the time of filing this report.