Protest Erupts as Bandits Demand ₦80m Ransom After Abducting Couple in Ondo
Residents of Eleyewo community in Akure North Local Government Area staged a protest on Saturday morning following the abduction of a couple by bandits. The victims, identified as Jamiu Olawale and his wife, were kidnapped during an attck on Friday night, February 20, 2026, which also left a neighbour, Patrick Ilumaro, shot.
Angry community members blocked the Akure-Owo expressway for several hours, chanting solidarity songs, until police cleared the road. A family source said the kidnappers contacted the victims’ family, demanding N80 million for their release, with N40 million for each individual.
The police spokesperson, Abayomi Jimoh, confirmed the incident occurred around 9:45 p.m. on Friday. He said the couple had just returned home from their shop in an ash-coloured Toyota Camry when gunmen reportedly emerged from nearby bushes, attacked them at their residence, and abducted them to an unknown location.
During the attack, their neighbour, Patrick Ilumaro, who was seated outside, sustained a gunshot wound and was rushed to a hospital, where he is receiving medical treatment.