Families of kidnapped Naval Officer, his wife and young boy appeal to Tinubu as abductors demand N100m ransom

The families of abducted Air Force officers Squadron Leader Nurudeen Popoola, his wife Ganiyat, and a 16-year-old 100-Level student at the Nigerian Air Force Institute of Technology in Kaduna, Abdulmugniy Folaranmi, have urged President Bola Tinubu and Governor Seyi Makinde to intervene for the victims’ release.

Nurudeen Popoola is from Ile Iyalosa, Ebu Ikolaba, and Ekunle Iseyin; his wife is from Ile Idi-Ape, Ijemba, Iseyin; and Folaranmi is from Oke-Oja, Iseyin, all in Oyo state.

The pair was kidnapped from their residence in the National Eyes Centre Quarters in Mando, Kaduna, on December 27, 2023, about 1:00 a.m.

On Thursday, January 18, the abductors issued their families an ultimatum: pay the N100 million ransom or have the victims slaughtered.

Olatunde Rafiu, the Air Force officer’s cousin, told reporters in Ibadan yesterday that family members had made frantic attempts to contact the state governor via email since they were unable to meet with him in person.

Rafiu said that the email was sent to the governor on January 8, but there has been no response.

He also urged Makinde to contact his colleague in Kaduna State, Uba Sani, for assistance in saving the lives.

“Since our brother and his wife with our young brother were kidnapped in the middle of the night of December 27, 2023, we have made all efforts to gather the money requested by the kidnappers, which is N100 million. But all we could get till this moment is just N20 million. For two weeks, the abductors did not call us till they did on Monday, telling us that they gave us till Thursday to come up with the money.

“We have made public appeals and called on people of means in the society to help secure the lives of our loved ones in captivity. Friends, extended family members have reached out, but we are still far from the amount demanded, which is N100 million, and we have only today left.

“We are renewing our appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and our Governor, Seyi Makinde, to please help us do something within the little time left of the ultimatum given.”