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A survivor of banditry, Olaniyi Gbolahan, has recounted how he was abducted by armed bandits in Ekiti State while working as a farm manager.
Speaking on News Central TV’s programme Jasiri, on Wednesday, Gbolahan said the incident occurred on October 23, 2025, while he was preparing a report requested by his farm coordinator.
He explained that he was on a tractor while writing the report when another operator informed him that a tractor had entered a drainage area and needed to be moved.
“I picked up my bike and go into the farm to search for him,” he said. “When I got there, I saw the tractor had entered the wrong direction.”
Gbolahan said the next thing he heard was the sound of Fulani armed men surrounding him and seizing his belongings.
“They collected my cross bag and the eight thousand naira cash that was with me, from there they asked me to call my boss then they asked me to unlock my WhatsApp,” he said, adding that the kidnappers scrolled through his phone and saw a picture of the farm owner with the state governor.
According to him, the bandits forced him to call the farm owner to inform her that he had been kidnapped.
“‘Madam, I have been kidnapped by these bandits.’ the woman said i should no worry that she is going to send police, army, drone and every other thing,” he recalled.
He said the bandits interrupted the call and warned against involving security forces. They later demanded N100 million as ransom for him and N50 million for another captive.
Gbolahan said the kidnappers initially told him that his ransom had been paid, but the following day, they informed him it had not been fully settled.
When asked who eventually paid the ransom and whether the payment came from his family or the farm management, Gbolahan claimed that he was later informed that the state government had allegedly facilitated the payment for his release.
Watch Olaniyi Gbolahan’s interview below:
