Abductors shot driver, set body ablaze before Ekiti school students – Parent

Abductors of five students and four staff members of the Apostolic Faith Group of Schools, Emure Ekiti, Ekiti State, were said to have shot dead the school bus driver and set his body ablaze in the presence of the students.

One of the parents who pleaded anonymity, said the body of the driver was “burnt to ashes” in the forest by the kidnappers.

Thefrontrank reports that the abductors had last week Monday ambushed the school bus conveying the students and staff members home at Eporo and whisked nine of the occupants away.

The parent explained that the driver was killed because he could not provide the telephone number of any of his relatives or the school proprietor off-hand to the abductors.

According to him, “it was one of the students who said that the abductors shot the driver dead.

“The children told us that the abductors asked for the phone number of relatives to call from each of them in the forest.

“The driver told them he didn’t know that of his wife and school proprietor off-hand. This made them angry and they hit him with their gun bolt.

“For days, he was said to be writhing in pains from the injury he sustained.

“He was shot dead and painfully, his body was burnt to ashes on Saturday morning.

“It was a terrifying experience for the little children, especially looking at how the driver was killed.”

Another parent said the children and staff were released after the sum of N15 million, food items, milk and drinks were handed over to the kidnappers as ransom.

Narrating his ordeal, the parent said: “We had challenges locating them. When we first entered the forest, we spent almost two hours without seeing the abductors.

“We had to go back and forth before we saw those who asked us to bring the money.

“They took us into the bush that was far from where we parked the motorcycle that we took there.

“We gave them what they demanded and they released the students and teachers to us.

“Eight persons were released out the nine persons kidnapped; we didn’t see the ninth person, which was the driver.

“As they collected the money, they said we should run off.

“I cannot say specifically the location in the forest. It was between Ekiti and Ondo States.

“We entered around Ago Panu along Owo-Ikare Road in Ondo State and went deep into the forest.

“When they released the abductees to us, I thank God for the reunion; and for surviving the torture and hunger.”