Ekiti, 07 February, 2024 / 9:27 pm (ACI Africa).
Six children and two teachers of Apostolic Faith Church Primary and Secondary School, Emure, who were reportedly abducted while returning home on a bus after school hours on January 29 have regained their freedom.
The children were released at about 2 a.m. on February 4 after spending six days in captivity, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported, the February 4 NAN report indicating that the driver of the school bus, Taye Rasaki, was killed in captivity.
In the report, the Police Public Relations Officer in Ekiti, Sunday Abutu, is quoted confirming the murder of Mr. Rasaki, saying, “All victims were rescued today in the early hours of today, Sunday, but unfortunately, we lost the driver who was suspected to have been killed by the abductors.”
“Though some arrests have been made in recent past, our operations shall continue as we want to ensure that the perpetrators are apprehended and made to face the full wrath of the law,” Mr Abutu is further quoted, not confirming whether any ransom was paid for the release of the abductees.
In a Tuesday, February 6 communiqué following their two-day meeting, Catholic Bishops in Nigeria’s Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province (IEP) expressed concern about the “unfortunate events that have occurred recently right at our doorsteps in our ecclesiastical province.”