Two young women have reportedly escaped an attempted abduction by suspected ritualists operating with commercial taxis and tricycles in Akure, the Ondo State capital.
The victims, identified as Grace Nashery and another lady, were said to have boarded a taxi from Danjuma Junction along Ondo Road to the Adebowale area when the incident occurred.
According to reports, the taxi—already occupied by three men and the driver—diverted from its normal route and headed towards Owena, on the outskirts of Akure, where the women were later abandoned.
Grace said they were stranded and disoriented until a good Samaritan found them and contacted their parents, who came to rescue them later that night.
Her father, Pastor Nashery Doki, alleged that the driver was part of a ritualist gang operating in the city.
He thanked God for his daughter’s safety and called on the police to investigate the syndicate.
He also urged residents to be vigilant when boarding commercial vehicles, noting that similar incidents have been reported recently in Akure.
An Akure resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also recounted how his pastor’s daughter narrowly escaped a similar attempt, appealing to security agencies to intensify efforts to curb the rising cases of abduction in the state capital.