Trapped in a four-month nightmare, the people of Awun in the Oro-Ago community of Irepodun Local Government Area, Kwara State, have successfully pooled resources to pay a staggering ₦60 million ransom. The hefty sum was delivered to terrorists to secure the freedom of a pregnant woman and two young children who were violently abducted from their home.

The financial rescue mission required a massive collaborative effort, heavily relying on digital coordination. Facing a strict deadline and the immense trauma of the victims, the villagers established a dedicated community WhatsApp platform. Through this digital channel, indigenes living abroad in the diaspora were instantly mobilized to contribute the majority of the funds.

THENEWSCREDIT reliably gathered that beyond the ₦60 million cash demand, the kidnappers forced the impoverished community to provide an extensive list of logistics and food provisions. Local sources confirmed the terrorists demanded and received two 50kg bags of rice, 20 litres of groundnut oil, cartons of spaghetti, 10kg of semovita, assorted brands of beer, and various seasoning sauces before finalizing the release.

The harrowing ordeal began early one morning in February this year. Gunmen stormed the residence of Mr. Olajide Buraimoh while he was away, taking his pregnant wife and their two children, aged between four and 15. The family was subsequently dragged into dense forest hideouts, where they were subjected to untold physical and psychological hardship.

The terrorists opted for a phased release of the captives to maximize their leverage. The pregnant woman, whose health had severely deteriorated under the harsh conditions of the forest camp, was let go last week. However, the two minors were held back in captivity for several more days until the final logistics demands were met on Monday.

The release of the children sparked a mix of relief and deep financial anxiety across the community. "Our situation in Awun is pitiable; only God can save us," a local resident named Ismail shared. While he described the return of the minors as cheering news, he emphasized that the economic crisis left behind by the ransom payment has completely devastated the community.

THENEWSCREDIT further gathered that In a sharp contrast to the community`s harrowing accounts, formal security agencies appear completely disconnected from the incident. When contacted regarding the four-month abduction and the subsequent multi-million naira transaction, the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Ojo Adekimi, claimed total ignorance of the event.

The police chief insisted that the command received no reports of the initial February abduction or the subsequent negotiations. "I am not aware of the development; nobody informed us of any abduction, let alone the payment of a ransom," Commissioner Adekimi stated, highlighting a severe gap in communication between terror-struck rural communities and local law enforcement.