NB247
Nelson Adepoyigi, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Ward 5 Chairman in Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State who was recently kidnapped in Ifon, has been reportedly killed by his abductors.
The kidnappers however freed two individuals who took N5million and food items to them as ransom in a bid to secure Mr 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.
Confirming the killing of the APC chieftain, an Ifon community leader who spoke anonymously, said the corpse of the victim was yet to be located in the forest, saying the two ransom bearers had reunited with their families.
Confirming the incident, the Chairman, Ose LGA, Clement Ojo, said the community was grateful that the two volunteers had regained their freedom, but expressed sadness that the life of 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 decease,” he said.
“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.”
Mr Ojo further stresses the need for urgent intervention from security agencies across board to re-strategize and respond promptly to intelligence reports.
He also recommended the deployment of security personnel and infrastructure to vulnerable communities in Ose LGA and surrounding areas in addition to improved surveillance, patrols, and community collaboration to detect and deter criminal elements.
Mr Ojo called for the swift arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators of this heinous crime to serve as a deterrent to others.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Olutokunbo Afolabi, said police could not immediately ascertain the killing but had deployed special officers to Ifon to investigate the matter.