A farm estate owner, Olanrewaju Oyeleye, has been abducted by bandits on his farmland in Ondo State. 

Mr Oyeleye was seized on his farmland alongside his manager, identified as Tayo, in the early hours of Friday. 

It was gathered that the two men were working on the farm in the Abasakin area, Osi community of Akure North LGA, when the bandits took them into the forest. 

The farm is a few metres away from the Akure airport, which has recorded several cases of kidnapping. 

Sources close to the victim broke the news of his abduction to journalists on Sunday, saying the gun-welding men are demanding N100 million ransom for their release.

Confirming the incident on Sunday, the commander of the Amotekun Corps, Adetunji Adeleye, revealed that security operatives had been deployed to rescue the victims and apprehend the kidnappers. 

“Our men are working tirelessly to ensure the victims are rescued from the abductors. We are working with other security agents to track their location,” Mr Adeleye said in a short message to journalists.

Meanwhile, fear has gripped local farmers, many relocating and abandoning the community. 

The farmers decried the frequent abduction of their colleagues on their farmlands, stating that the situation was terrifying. 

In January, rampaging bandits abducted a local farmer and his labourer in the Oke Oge area of Oba Ile in the same Akure North LGA.

Both men were abducted while returning from the farm – a stone throw to the Akure Airport on the popular Oba Ile road.

It was later gathered that they paid N2 million ransom before they were released to their family members.