By Kunle Adeniyi
21 days after a wedding celebration turned into a nightmare, Funmilayo Bamidele and her husband, Reverend Abiodun David, are finally home.
The kidnapped newlyweds were freed by their abductors after three weeks in captivity, according to Oluwaseun Fabiyi, publisher of Bethnews Media, who spoke with the family. He said the release followed the payment of a ₦10 million ransom.
At the time of filing this report, the couple had been reunited with their relatives. The family had waited anxiously for news since the night they disappeared.
The couple were returning from their engagement ceremony in Eruku, in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, on the evening of Saturday, 26 September 2026. Four other people were travelling with them.
The vehicle was expected to take the Isanlu Road. The driver instead chose a back route to drop the best man and other members of the group at Iyamoye, in Kogi State. That detour put the vehicle on the Iyemero-Eruku Road, a border route linking Kwara and Kogi, where armed men reportedly intercepted it.
Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, confirmed the abduction the next day. He said soldiers had moved into the bush to find the victims and arrest the culprits. He added that the vehicle had been found parked at an abandoned police station in Ayetoro, Ekiti State.
