The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at Ward 5, in Ose Local Council Area of Ondo State, Nelson Adepoyigi, who was kidnapped a few days ago, has been killed by his captors.
THISDAY reported that Adepoyigi was abducted last week Monday at the entrance of his farm along the Ifon-Owo road, an area known for violent crimes.
Thereafter, the kidnappers demanded a ransom of N100 million from the victim’s family but after several rounds of negotiation and pleas, the amount was reduced to N5 million.
Unfortunately, it was gathered on Sunday that Adepoyigi, was shot by the kidnappers over the weekend.
It was further gathered that, Adepoyigi was tragically killed after two community members, Bayode Loco and Isimeri, who volunteered to deliver the N5 million ransom, were also captured by the kidnappers. The abductors then demanded an additional N30 million for the release of all three.
While the two volunteers were eventually released, sources within the community revealed that the kidnappers had allegedly marked Adepoyigi for death, indicating that his execution was premeditated by the abductors.
When contacted, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Wilfred Afolabi, said he could not confirm if theAPC chieftain has been killed but stated that operatives from the command had been deployed to the community to investigate the incident.
Confirming the development, Chairman of Ose Local Government, Kolapo Ojo, decried the rising security challenges in the area, describing the situation as critical.
“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,” he said.
“This pattern of brazen abductions, even at the very gates of people’s homes, confirms that insecurity has taken a dangerous and intolerable dimension. 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.”
Ojo also declared a three-day mourning period across the local government area, describing the late Adepoyigi as a dedicated party leader, passionate community builder, and patriotic son of Ose whose untimely death is both a personal and collective tragedy.
According to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Seun Ogunniyi, all flags across local government premises will be flown at half-mast from Monday to Wednesday as a mark of collective sorrow.
“All government-related public activities will be held in a solemn tone in honour of the departed. In addition, all official activities of the Chairman are hereby suspended for the duration of the mourning period,” he added.