As she left for the weekly Community Development Service CDS meeting at Ilamija, Epe, Lagos, last Friday, little did Oyinwara Faith , know that tragedy loomed at the corner. Little also did she realise that she would become the subject of discussion in the media, few days later.
Faith, was posted to ABC farm, in Ilamija NLA community in Epe, for the compulsory one year National Youth Service Corp, NYSC.
Midway into the journey to the CDS meeting , in the company of another NYSC members, four strangers , armed with guns and cutlasses, sprang out from no where. They singled her out and took her into the bush, while her fear stricken colleagues ran to break the news.
Later that evening, Manager of the farm, ( names withheld) received a telephone call where the stranger informed him that Faith was in his gang’s custody.
According to the farm Manager , “ the caller told me to call him back. By the time I did, he told me that if I wanted her alive that I should pay N50million ransome for her release. I told him I didn’t have such amount. Instantly, I contacted the Police and they (police ) advised me to speak with them calmly so that they don’t become aggressive and hurt the lady.
“As they kept communicating with me I pleaded with them to reduce the ransom. They came down to N40million . After much persuasion, they reduced it to N25 million and said they would shift grounds. We negotiated from Friday night all through Saturday. Then on Sunday they reduced it to N10 million and I maintained that I didn’t have that amount , that they should reduce it further”.
After much appeal the kidnappers as gathered, reduced the ransome to N400,000 with an instruction to the farm Manager to drop the money at Ijebu Ososa area of Epe.
