A mother has narrated how she took a ransom of N1 million from Ibadan, the Oyo State, to kidnappers in Osun State to secure the release of her five-year-old daughter, abducted overnight on July 3.

Earlier, on July 15, the Peoples Gazette reported that a five-year-old girl, identified as Fikayo Gbemiga, was abducted from her residence in Iyana Offa area of Ibadan.

The victim’s mother, in a video obtained by the Gazette, stated that the incident, which occurred on a Friday, caused anxiety and led to a call from an unknown person who  initially demanded N10 million ransom.

She said the suspects attempted to gain access to a room and a kitchen in their house through a hole before eventually getting access into the family’s sitting room, where the young girl was abducted.

“We did not know when they entered. I woke up at 6:20 a.m. to cook on that Friday and to wake them (her children), only to discover that where I put my purse had been scattered. I was wondering what had happened and observed that something had gone wrong in the house. I got to the parlour because she (the abducted girl) stays in the parlour with her sisters, while her dad and I stay in the other room,” Ms Gbemiga’s mother said.

“That purse I could not find, I saw it in the parlour close to the children’s bed. The invoices of the goods I bought had been scattered on the floor. I woke the other siblings, but the moment I raised my head, I saw a hole at the back of the chair, so I raised an alarm, calling my husband that something had gone wrong. That was how we rushed out to raise the alarm. We then observed that they had attempted to break into the room we were in and the kitchen,” she said.

The victim’s mother said she received a call on the afternoon of the incident from a private number, which demanded a N10 million ransom to release her daughter.

Ms Gbemiga stated, “It was not until 12:28 p.m. that I saw a private number calling me. They called the first time, but I did not pick up. The number then called a second time and said, “Hello, Fikayo is with us. We will collect N10 million,” and then hung up. The number did not call back throughout that day. The caller called again the second day.”

“By Sunday, the caller had reduced the amount to N7 million. People around me said I should tell him we had been able to raise N1 million. He said I should bring the money to Osogbo (Osun State) and that I should come right away. I reached out to some people and the N1 million was completed. When I got to Iwo Road, I told them I had to transfer. But he said I should go and cash the transfer. I got the cash. He said I should board a vehicle to Osogbo. At another time, he said I should take a vehicle to Ife.”

The mother of the victim said the caller instructed her to alight along the trip to Ife, walk into an unfamiliar path, drop the money and return to Ibadan, with the promise that she would see her daughter the following day.

“When I got to Gbongan, he said I should not go to Ife again, that I should go to Akinlalu Junction. Then he asked who came along with me and what kind of vehicle I boarded. He then said I should take a bike to Wakajaye Junction. An officer was in contact with me, who also helped contact some officers in Osogbo. Our daddy and some younger siblings also followed me. They were monitoring my journey,” the five-year-old’s mother stated.

“So when I got to Wakajaye Junction, he asked me what clothes I was wearing and I gave the description. He confirmed that I was the one holding a polythene bag. Then he said I should face the path before me and walk into it. I walked for about 40 minutes. I got to a point where I saw a river. He called and I told him that I was afraid and that he should not kill me too.”

“Shortly after, I saw a motorcycle pass through the river. It made me realise that the river was not so deep. I expected the rider to return, but he did not. So, I crossed the river and another small body of water I met along the way. He then called and I told him I could not continue the journey and asked if I should drop the money and return. He said I was almost at the destination and should watch out for a banana leaf, where I was to place the money.”

“As I moved a bit ahead, I saw the banana leaf and placed the money on it. When I turned back to look for the money, I could not find it. So, I continued walking, hoping my child would be ahead. Shortly after, the motorcycle I had seen earlier passed by again. I even attempted to stop it, so the rider could carry me, but he did not stop. The number then called again. The caller told me to leave and assured me that I would see my child the next day,” she stated.

On the next day, the abducted girl’s mother said the caller insisted that the ransom she delivered was insufficient.

She stated that the demand for more ransom ultimately led to the suspects’ apprehension.

“The call did not come the next day until a few minutes before 2:00 p.m. The caller then said the money I brought was not enough and that I would have to pay more. I responded that if the money was not enough, why did they make me bring it in the middle of the night. We eventually negotiated another N1 million on Tuesday. I kept begging the caller, telling him I had only raised N30,000, before he was eventually caught on Saturday,” she said.

Earlier on July 15, the state police command in a statement said it apprehended two suspects, identified as Adegboye Seyi Sunday and Adegboye Elijah Adefemi, for abducting the five-year-old girl.

The command’s spokesperson, Ayanlade Olayinka, said the principal suspects were apprehended on July 11 at about 10:30 p.m. at a hideout in the Mojoyin Molade area of Iwo Road, Ibadan.

“The sustained operation culminated in the arrest of the principal suspects on 11 July 2026 at about 10:30 p.m. at their hideout in the Mojoyin Molade area of Iwo Road, Ibadan,” Mr Olayinka said.

“Acting on credible intelligence generated during the course of the investigation, operatives stormed the suspects’ hideout where the victim was rescued unhurt at about 10:35 p.m,” he stated

The spokesman said investigation showed that the suspects received N1 million as ransom in Gbongan, Osun state.

He added that efforts were ongoing to recover the ransom already collected and apprehend other members of the syndicate.