Mother of Six Perishes in Captivity Despite Ransom Payment
By Onibiyo Segun
Aderinmope-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria – A mother of six died in captivity after her family paid ₦25 million, about $16,000 to suspected Ansaru-linked terrorists, while six other abducted women returned home describing a punishing two-day forced march through forests that span multiple states.
The victims were abducted on January 24, 2026,
when gunmen stormed Erinmope-Ekiti and seized five women, including a nursing mother and a pregnant woman, according to The Nation.
The kidnappers initially demanded ₦100 million (about $128,000) for their release. Two additional persons, who reportedly took an initial ₦10 million – about $12,900 ransom to the abductors, were also detained after the kidnappers rejected the amount.
Gunmen attacked Erinmope-Ekiti, in Moba county (Local Government Area), at about 7 p.m. that evening.
The town lies roughly 60 kilometers east of Ado-Ekiti, near dense forests that form corridors toward Kogi and Niger states, North-Central Nigeria.
One of the freed victims, identified as Muhammad Soliu, narrated the ordeal on Wednesday, Feb. 18, describing the experience as harrowing, according to the Nation.
He alleged that the abductors subjected them to severe hardship, leaving them in the forest for days without food or water.
Residents said the attackers arrived on motorcycles and fired into the air before rounding up seven women returning from evening activities.
“We were tied together like goats and forced to trek long distances barefoot. The kidnappers spoke English and other Nigerian languages and operated in shifts,” Soliu told The Nation.
He said further, “I was eventually freed in the Idofin area of Kwara State, while others were released in Kogi State.”
Marched for Two Days
“We were marched through thick forests for two days and exchanged at some point in a community between Kogi and Niger states,” one freed victim, Amina Akindele, told TruthNigeria.
She added, “They said if we slowed down, they would shoot. The women slept on bare ground and were shifted repeatedly at night to avoid detection.”
Held Inside What Looked Like a Den
Leader of the Ekiti Forest Guards, Afolabi Adeyemi told TruthNigeria in a chat that survivors described being kept in what “looked like a den,” with sleeping mats, cooking spots and heavy tree cover that blocked light and mobile signals.
“That suggests a structured hideout, not a temporary camp,” Afolabi said – a description similar to terror-holding sites previously found in Rijana Forest, Kaduna State. Some captives were held for an entire month, according to The Nation.
Death Despite Payment
Hauwa Suleiman collapsed days before the captives were freed, survivors said.
“We begged them to let her rest. They refused.” Modupe Ahmed told TruthNigeria.
Her brother, Abdulrahman Suleiman, told TruthNigeria in a telephone chat that the family raised ₦25 million – about $16,000 – through frantic contributions from relatives and church members.
“We believed once we paid, she would come home,” Abdulrahman explained.
“Instead, we brought her back for burial.”
Nationwide Kidnap Context
The Erinmope incident illustrates Nigeria’s large, organized illicit kidnap industry.
A Nairametrics report says between July 2024 and June 2025, 4,722 people were abducted in 997 incidents across Nigeria, with at least ₦2.56 billion ($1.66 million) paid in ransoms, according to security research.
Analysts: Tactics Point to Ansaru Faction
Dr. Chukwuemeka Nwosu, Director of the Centre for Counter-Terrorism Studies in Abuja, told a TruthNigeria reporter that the tactics mirror those of a faction of Ansaru, an al-Qaeda-linked extremist group active in forest belts across north-central Nigeria.
“Marching hostages long distances, exchanging them across state borders, and holding them in dens are structured operations,” Dr. Nwosu said.
“This is organized terrorism, not opportunistic banditry.” Dr. Nwosu added.
“There certainly is an operating terrorist den in Niger State that security agents must locate and dismantle, like they did in Kogi State when they eliminated terror kingpin Kachalla Kabir,” public affairs analyst Prof. Isah Farouk told TruthNigeria.
Professor Aisha Bello, a security scholar at the University of Lagos, told TruthNigeria while fielding questions that the Erinmope pattern fits a broader strategic shift.
“These groups exploit forest corridors that connect states. They keep hostages moving to avoid detection and finance operations through ransom.” Bello said.
State Government Responds
Mr. Yinka Oyebode, Special Adviser on Media to Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji, said the governor has ordered reinforced patrols along the Moba–Oye forest corridor and directed security agencies to intensify intelligence gathering in border communities.
“The state is working with federal security agencies to track the gunmen and dismantle forest hideouts believed to be operating along routes linking Ekiti to Kogi and Niger states,” Oyebode told national media.
The Ekiti State Police Command confirmed an ongoing investigation.
“We are coordinating with Amotekun and other intelligence units to identify and apprehend those responsible,” Police Public Relations Officer DSP Sunday Abutu told The Nation newspaper.
Officials of the Ekiti Amotekun Corps told TruthNigeria that additional patrol teams have been deployed to rural flashpoints and forest entry points near Erinmope-Ekiti following the abduction.
A Wider Forest Corridor Pattern
TruthNigeria reporting shows similar cross-forest kidnapping operations in recent months:
Ondo State – monarch abducted and killed in forest ambush –
Kogi State – security forces killed terror leader Kachalla Kabir –
Kwara State – mass abductions and massacres in rural areas –
Niger State – dawn raids killed at least 32 people, with others abducted
Analysts told TruthNigeria that the connecting thread is mobility: forest routes allow armed cells to move quickly across borders before security forces can respond.
Resilience at Home
Despite trauma and loss, Erinmope-Ekiti’s community has shown resilience. TruthNigeria investigation shows that churches and mosques now hold extended prayer vigils. Farmers who once avoided forest paths have begun returning by day, and neighbors have started a communal fund to support affected families.
Onibiyo Segun reports on terrorism and conflicts for TruthNigeria.
