A widow, Olufunke Roseline Araoyinbo, from Iju in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State, has appealed to the Federal Government to assist in securing the release of her second child, Marvelous Abiodun Araoyinbo, who was allegedly kidnapped by unknown persons demanding a ₦10 million ransom.
In a video currently trending on Facebook, Mrs. Araoyinbo said Marvelous, a recent graduate of Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Tech., Ikere, where he studied Criminology, was abducted in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where he was posted for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme.
According to her, the victim fell ill at the NYSC orientation camp, and his blood pressure reportedly became unstable. She said the camp authorities were unable to manage his condition and subsequently advised him to return home for medical attention.
Unaware of the danger, Marvelous allegedly boarded a vehicle operated by kidnappers, who later informed him that he had been abducted.
Mrs Araoyinbo
Mrs. Araoyinbo said her son was allowed to place a call to her while still in the kidnappers’ custody, but during the conversation, the phone was taken from him, and the abductors demanded ₦10 million for his release.
“They told me, ‘Your son has been kidnapped. If you want his release, you must pay ₦10 million,” she recounted.
The distraught mother appealed to the Federal Government, through the Minister of Youth Development, to intervene and help secure her son’s freedom, explaining that she lacks the financial capacity to meet the ransom demand.
She noted that since the death of her husband, she has been solely responsible for raising their five children, adding that Marvelous is the only one who has so far graduated from university. She also disclosed that her youngest children are twins.
Narrating the incident, she said, “Marvelous went for NYSC in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. He is my second child. He graduated from Bamidele Olumilua University, where he studied Criminology. While in camp, he became sick and developed blood pressure issues. When the NYSC authorities could not treat him, he was given a letter to return home and take care of himself.
“He informed me about the situation on the phone. While we were still talking, someone suddenly took his phone and told me that my son had been kidnapped.”
Mrs. Araoyinbo said the kidnappers later sent her a photograph of her son in captivity and allowed him to speak with her briefly before cutting off communication.
She added that she has reported the incident to the NYSC authorities, who assured her that efforts were ongoing to secure his release, including alerting relevant security agencies.
“I have informed the NYSC, and they said they are working on it. They assured me that the appropriate security agencies have been contacted,” she said.
