SaharaReporters has exclusively revealed that the release of Prince Eniola Ojajuni, President of the Afenifere Youth Council, was secured after his family managed to raise at least N17 million in ransom to pay his abductors.
A top family source confirmed to SaharaReporters on Saturday that Ojajuni endured 12 harrowing days in captivity before regaining his freedom. Despite desperate pleas, the Nigerian government failed to intervene financially, and security agencies could not track the kidnappers’ location until the ransom was delivered.
According to sources, Ojajuni’s wife personally delivered the ransom to the abductors in Akure, ensuring his release.
“We did not hear anything from the government despite repeated promises. The police efforts did not yield results. We had no choice but to raise the funds ourselves,” a family member lamented.
Following his release, Ojajuni is currently receiving medical treatment at an undisclosed location for security reasons.
Before his release, the Afenifere group had strongly condemned Nigeria’s worsening security crisis, calling on the Ondo and Kogi state governments to intervene. The group had urged the authorities to act swiftly, as Ojajuni was kidnapped near the Ondo-Kogi boundary while traveling to Abuja on Monday, February 17, 2025.
The Afenifere Youth Council’s National Secretary, Abiodun Aderonhunmu, disclosed that the kidnappers initially demanded a staggering N100 million ransom, leaving the family in a frantic struggle to raise funds.
A distressing voice recording obtained by SaharaReporters captured a chilling conversation between the kidnappers and Ojajuni’s family.
During the call, Ojajuni, who had been shot in the buttock, could be heard pleading for his life as his captors issued a 48-hour ultimatum, threatening to kill him if the ransom was not paid.
While the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) had earlier reaffirmed its commitment to securing Ojajuni’s release, their intervention proved ineffective.
Police spokesperson ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi had urged the public to refrain from spreading unverified information that could compromise the rescue mission. In response, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) deployed the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) to prioritize his rescue—an effort that ultimately failed to prevent the ransom payment.
Ojajuni’s abduction is yet another grim reminder of Nigeria’s deepening security crisis, where kidnapping-for-ransom has become an unchecked menace. His ordeal highlights the government’s failure to protect citizens, leaving families to negotiate with terrorists in the absence of effective law enforcement.
As outrage grows, many are asking: How much longer before Nigeria tackles this spiraling wave of insecurity?
PIONEER NEWS 