Oba’s wife, six others kidnapped in Ekiti
From Toba Suleiman in Ado-Ekiti, 08.04.2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009

About seven people were reportedly kidnapped in the last four days in various parts of Ekiti State.

http://odili.net/news/source/2009/aug/4/207.html



The kidnappers equally demanded N50 million ransom from the victims’ families and relations before they could be released.

Those kidnapped include the Chairman of the state Internal Revenue Board, Mr. Femi Ajepe, and his wife; the wife of the paramount ruler of Ilawe Ekiti, Oba Adeyemi Ademileka and her daughter, Adedoyin.

Others are an Ado-Ekiti-based lawyer, Mr. R.K. Olaiya, who was kidnapped along with his wife and a client in Ikole Ekiti yesterday.

Ajepe was said to have been abducted with his wife in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State capital, last Saturday by the kidnappers, who trailed him from Akure, the Ondo State capital, to Ado-Ekiti.

While Ajepe was said to have been released by the kidnappers, his wife was yet to regain her freedom as their captors were said to be demanding N30 million before she could be released.

THISDAY learnt that the wife of the traditional ruler of Ilawe Ekiti was also said to have been released but her daughter, Adedoyin, is still being held at an undisclosed location by the abductors, who were demanding a N10 million ransom.

As at press time yesterday evening, Olaiya, who was said to have been kidnapped along with his wife and client were still being held just as there was no clue about the ransom being demanded by the abductors.

Reacting to the incidents, Chairman of Ado-Ekiti Branch of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Dele Omotoso, who confirmed the abduction of one of his members to newsmen, said the lawyer was in Ikole Ekiti to meet one of his clients, only to be abducted by the kidnappers, who had already laid siege for him.

According to him, he (Olaiya) was to handle a case for this client in Ado-Ekiti High Court yesterday before the unidentified men descended on him.

On the ransom demanded by the kidnappers, Omotoso said he had not been able to establish any point of contact with the abductees for him to be able to know the ransom the abductors were demanding.

Also commenting on the incidents, the state Acting Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fabian Ojiri, said his command was aware of the incidents, except that of Ajepe, which, he said, had not been reported to him.

He, however, added that most of the recent abduction cases were as a result of mere communal crises.

According to Ojiri, “I can say that most of these abductions were as a result of internal crises in all these communities. Take for instance, immediately the Olori of Alawe and her daughter were abducted, the kidnappers called the DPO in Ekiti South West Local Government Area to come to Ikere to pick her car.

“So, the question now is this, how did they know his number, if not for the fact that it was perpetrated by those in that community?” he asked.

Ojiri referred to the abduction of the lawyer as an arrangee one, saying “How come he was abducted the very day he was to handle a very sensitive case in Ado-Ekiti? So, these are part of the things that we have to put into consideration,” he said.

The Police Commissioner, however, said he had ordered a thorough investigation into the incidents, so that the perpetrators could be brought to book in no distant time.

His words, “I have put my men on alert and by the grace of God, these evil doers will soon be unravelled and make to face the full weight of law, because the security of lives and property of the people have to be paramount and be protected by police with utmost zeal.”

I think it's time to get these kidnappers and then execute them for good.

Kidnapping, the new discovery for unemployed citizens to get their own share of the national cake. Naija, I hail you.