Abductors have freed pupils and teachers of Apostolic Faith Group School, Emure after seven days in captivity.
Those freed include five students and three teachers while the kidnappers killed the driver identified as Taye Rasaki.
The gunmen on Monday ambushed a bus conveying the pupils and teachers back to their homes at Eporo and whisked nine away, leaving the bus on the road.
The kidnappers were said to have demanded a N100m ransom for each of the nine people in their den.
The abductors, however, on Thursday reduced the ransom to N15m for all the victims, threatening to kill them if the money was not paid on time.
In the early hours of Sunday, reprieve came their way as the bandits set them free.
The Chairman of Emure Council Area of Ekiti State, Hon. Adebayo Oluwatosin, who confirmed the development, said the victims are in the palace of Elemure of Emure Ekiti.
He added that the driver was killed while eight others regained freedom.
Confirming the development, Ekiti Police Command Public Relations Officer, Sunday Abutu said: “All victims were rescued today around 1:30am, but we lost the driver who was unexpectedly killed by the abductors.”