After seven days in kidnappers den, staff and pupils of Apostolic Faith Group School, Emure in Ekiti State, have finally regained their freedom.
However, the school bus driver identified as Taye Rasaki, did not make it out of the kidnappers den alive.
Those who regained freedom include five students and three staff of the school while Rasaki was killed by the dare-devil kidnappers.
Gunmen had on Monday ambushed a bus conveying the schoolchildren and staff of the school back to their homes at Eporo on the road and whisked nine among the occupants away, leaving the bus on the road.
The kidnappers were said to have reached out to the families of the abducted pupils and demanded N100m ransom for each of the nine persons in their den.
The abductors, however, on Thursday reduced the ransom to N15m for all the abductees with threat to kill the victims if the money was not paid on time.
However, on Sunday morning, reprieve came their way as the bandits set them free.
The Chairman of Emure Council Area of Ekiti State, Hon. Adebayo Oluwatosin, who confirmed the development, said the victims are in the palace of Elemure of Emure Ekiti.
He added that the driver was killed while the other eight regained their freedom.
Confirming the development, Ekiti Police Command Public Relation Officer, Sunday Abutu said:
“All victims were rescued today at about 1:30am but unfortunately, we lost the driver who was unexpectedly killed by the abductors.”
