Breaking: Herdsmen Release Abducted Methodist Cleric, 2 Others

Segun Atanda/

Suspected herdsmen have released a Methodist Church cleric and two other leaders of the church abducted in Osun State on Sunday night.

NewsmakersNG learnt that the victims were released at an undisclosed location in the state this evening.

The Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, had on Tuesday given the assurance that security agents will rescue the priest, Very Rev. Kayode Akande; and the two church leaders, identified simply as Bankole and Omodunbi.

Sources told NewsmakersNG that authorities of the church had been raising funds discreetly to pay part of the N20 million ransom demanded by the kidnappers.

It is not known how much ransom was paid to secure the victims’ release but sources said it was not less than N5 million.

The victims were reportedly coming in company with others from a meeting held at Ile Ogbo, when the herdsmen stopped their vehicles along Iwo-Osogbo road and took them away, while allowing the remaining occupants of the bus to go.

Details later…….