Gunmen, who abducted nine travellers on Ifira Akoko – Ido Ani Expressway in Ondo State, have reduced their ransom demands to N10m.

WuzupNigeria reports that the kidnappers had earlier demanded N100m for their release.

The victims were said to be travelling in a Toyota Sienna bus to Lagos State from Abuja when they were abducted. However, one of them escaped from the den of the kidnappers but the whereabouts of the remaining victims were yet unknown.

The Divisional Police Officer for Isua Division, Mr Olowoyo Akinbode, confirmed the development, said that the abandoned Sienna bus had been removed from the scene of the incident and now in their custody.

The police officer said that his “men in conjunction with local vigilante and local hunters in the area had been combing the forest to rescue the victims from the den of kidnappers.”

Akinbode, who expressed assurance that the victims would be rescued, appealed to people with useful information to share with the police as to make the arrest of the miscreants possible.

In his own reaction to the matter, the Chairman of Akoko South East Council Area, Mr Yomi Babatunde described the incident as unfortunate, declaring that the volunteer residents of the area were ready to join security agents to rescue the kidnapped travellers.