The abductors of Nelson Adepoyigi, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Ward 5 Chairman in Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State, have significantly reduced their ransom demand from N100 million to N5 million, officials confirmed on Wednesday.

In an unusual development, the kidnappers have also demanded food items as part of the conditions for releasing the party official, who was abducted on Monday evening from his residence along Ifon-Owo Road.

Kolapo Oja, Chairman of Ose Local Government Area, disclosed the latest development in the ongoing negotiations. "As of last night, the negotiation we received from them was N5 million," Oja stated, adding that discussions were still in progress to further reduce the amount.

"We have appealed to them to reduce the ransom to a more reasonable amount," the council chairman explained. "I asked the family members and some council officials to return and see if they could negotiate it down to N2 million. They are yet to report back. We hope he returns safely to us."

The incident marks another troubling kidnapping case in Ondo State, highlighting the persistent security challenges facing local government officials and party leaders in the region. Authorities have not disclosed whether any security operations are underway to rescue the chairman.

This abduction comes amid growing concerns about the safety of political figures in Nigeria, where kidnapping for ransom has become increasingly common across various states.

Local APC officials have called for increased security measures to protect party members, especially those serving in leadership positions at the grassroots level.

As negotiations continue, the family and party members remain hopeful for Adepoyigi's safe return while authorities work to address the broader security implications of the incident.