The All Progressives Congress (APC) Ward 5 chairman in Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State, Nelson Adepoyigi, who was kidnapped at his residence in Ifon a few days ago, has been killed by his abductors.
The kidnappers who killed the APC chieftain, however, set free two individuals who reportedly took N5 million naira and food items to them as ransom to secure Adepoyigi’s release.
The kidnappers had earlier reduced their initial demand from N100 million to N5 million alongside food supplies.
They made a fresh demand of N30 million to secure the release of the three captives, which included Mr. Adepoyigi and the two ransom bearers.
A community leader in the community said the corpse of the victim was yet to be located in the forest, saying the two ransom bearers have reunited with their families.
He said it was on their return home that the freed ransom bearers confirmed that the suspected kidnappers said they had shot dead the APC ward chairman.
The Chairman of the local government, Hon. Clement Kolapo Ojo, also confirmed the death of the party chieftain who was abducted from his house last week.
His words, “While we are grateful that the two volunteers have now regained their freedom, it is deeply saddening and utterly painful that the life of Mr. Nelson Adepoyigi was brutally cut short by his captors.
“The entire leadership and people of Ose Local Government mourn this tragic loss. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and political associates of the deceased. His dedication to the progress of our party and the grassroots community will be forever remembered and honored.
“We are now at a critical juncture where security challenges have become a serious threat to the safety and freedom of our people. Only a few days before this incident, another resident narrowly escaped being kidnapped while parking his motorcycle. This pattern of brazen abductions, even at the very gates of people’s homes, confirms that insecurity has taken a dangerous and intolerable dimension”.
Ojo highlighted the following concerns on the need for urgent intervention from security agencies across the board to re-strategize and respond promptly to intelligence reports.
He said there is a need to deploy security personnel and infrastructure to vulnerable communities in his and surrounding areas and improve surveillance, patrols, and community collaboration to detect and deter criminal elements.
According to him, there should be swift arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators of this heinous crime to serve as a deterrent to others, saying there should be collaborative synergy between the Federal, state, and local authorities to strengthen security architecture in the region.
His words, “The safety and well-being of our constituents are non-negotiable. We must not fold our arms while law-abiding citizens continue to live in fear and fall prey to kidnappers. Every life lost is a blow to the peace, growth, and stability of our communities.
“The Ose Local Government, under the leadership of Hon. Barr. Clement Kolapo Ojo is fully committed to working with all security stakeholders to ensure justice is served and that such acts of terror are never allowed to thrive again in our land.
“We urge our people to remain vigilant, promptly report suspicious activities to the nearest security post, and stand united as we work together to overcome this threat”.
The Commissioner of Police, Mr Olutokunbo Afolabi, said police could not ascertain the killing of the APC chieftain.
The Police Boss said he has deployed special officers to Ifon to investigate the story flying around on social media about the death.
