The family of Squadron Leader Nurudeen Popoola, a Nigerian Airforce officer and his wife, Dr. Ganiyat Olawale-Popoola, a practicing medical doctor and Abdulmugniy Folaranmi, a 16year old 100 level student of the Nigerian Air Force Institute of Technology, Kaduna, have pleaded to President Bola Tinubu and Oyo State governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde to come to the rescue of the victims.
Nurudeen Popoola hails from Ile Iyalosa, Ebu Ikolaba, Ekunle Iseyin while his wife, Dr. Ganiyat Olawale-Popoola is from Ile Idi-Ape, Ijemba, Iseyin and the undergraduate Folaranmi who is from Oke-Oja, Iseyin.
They were snatched by 1am at their residence at the National Eyes Center Quaters, Mando, Kaduna on the 27th December, 2023 and have been with their abductors till the present moment, while an ultimatum of Thursday 18th January has been given to pay the #100milliom ransom to avoid killing of the victims.
A cousin of the Airforce officer, Alhaji Olatunde Rafiu (Isola), who spoke with journalists at Ibadan on Wednesday morning said the family members have made frantic efforts to reach out to the State governor through e-mail, as they could not meet with him physically.
He stated that the e-mail sent to the governor for appeal dated 8th January, 2023 but there has not been any response till date, begging governor Makinde to reach out to the Kaduna State governor, Senator Uba Sani to immediately look for a way out so that the lives of the victims will not be lost.
“Since our brother and his wife with our young brother have been kidnapped in the middle of the night of the 27th of December, 2023, we have made all efforts to gather the money requested by the kidnappers, which is a hundred million naira but all we could get till this moment is just #30million, 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 appeal and called on people of means in the society to please help secure the lives of our loved ones in captivity, friends, extended family members have reached out, but we are still far to the figure demanded, which is hundred million naira and we have only today left.
“We are renewing our appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and our Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde to please help us do something within the little time left of the ultimatum given, God Almighty will protect you, your children and your loved ones,” Folaranmi begged.