Ekiti Government Refused To Negotiate, Residents Raised N25.5 Million To Rescue Eda-Oniyo Kidnap Victims — Community Representative

A former Commissioner in Ekiti State and representative of the Eda-Oniyo community in Ilejemeje Local Government Area, Rufus Ajayi, has revealed that residents were left to raise N25.5 million to secure the release of victims abducted during the recent attack on the community after the Ekiti State Government refused to negotiate with the kidnappers.

Ajayi, however, backed the government's decision, describing it as a deliberate strategy aimed at preventing kidnappers from seeing Ekiti State as a profitable target for abductions.

Speaking with journalists at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), Ado-Ekiti, where the released victims were receiving medical treatment, Ajayi said the government's refusal to intervene in the ransom payment was understandable.

According to him, government involvement in negotiating or paying ransom would have encouraged more kidnappings in the state.

"The state government did not respond, and I understand their stand.

"Honestly speaking, if they had paid, the kidnappers would be coming often to Ekiti to kidnap, knowing full well that the state government would give them money."

Ajayi maintained that refusing to negotiate with kidnappers or finance ransom payments sends a strong message to criminal groups and helps weaken their operations, even though the burden fell on residents, who eventually raised N25.5 million to secure the victims' release.