Gunmen abduct Ogun farmer, demand N500m ransom

A 33-year-old poultry farmer, Oreoluwa Osonuga, has been abducted by armed men at the Ikenne Farm Settlement in Ogun State on Sunday afternoon at approximately 12:05 p.m. Osonuga’s abduction was made known in a statement released on Monday by Seye Kehinde, the chairman of the farm settlement. According to Kehinde, the kidnappers briefly reached out to the victim’s family on Sunday, demanding N500 million for his release. Part of the statement read, “The farm settlement in Ikenne witnessed an ugly situation this afternoon 12:05 pmm), as one of our members was kidnapped. He is Mr. Oreoluwa Osonuga, Male and about 33 years of age. “He is a poultry farmer and was on his way out of the farm when he was accosted by gunmen, who shot at his car and forced him into the bush. Immediately, security personnel were invited, and their response was prompt. “Military men were also deployed from Ilese, who combed the forest with no tangible result. “We are using this medium to keep the community aware of our plight and to stay vigilant.” He noted that despite round-the-clock efforts by police, anti-kidnapping units, soldiers, and other security operatives, there had been no breakthrough two days after the farmer’s abduction. He continued, “Today is Day 2. No significant development on either the rescue or release of kidnapped Oreoluwa Osonuga. “There has not been further contact from the abductors since the brief one made yesterday (Sunday) evening – around 5 pm – with a cousin of the victim’s father, during which a demand for N500 million ransom was made. “It was the kidnapper who spoke with his second cousin using his handset with MTN network. The Ogun State Commissioner of Police is abreast of efforts being made by his men. “It is on record that four months ago, on April 1, 2026, one of the farmers in the Settlement was kidnapped. He was in captivity for days before he was released after paying a ransom.” The victim’s granduncle, Soga Osonuga, also confirmed the incident, describing it as a source of deep anxiety and distress for the family. Soga said, “My nephew was indeed abducted on Sunday; his father is the last born of our parents, and I was there when a call was put across to him on Sunday. The statement is true.