By Wole Adedeji, Ilorin
One of the three kidnapped All Progressives Congress, APC, members in Kwara State last week is feared dead in the hands of their abductors.
The deceased, Mrs. Olumo Sunday Abolaji, was the APC Women Leader for Koro Ward in Ekiti Local Government Area of the state. She was one of the unfortunate three that couldnt escape out of the eight of them initially kidnapped.
They were kidnapped at a location between Araromi Opin and Obbo Ile in Ekiti Local Government Area, while returning from the inauguration of state APC executive committee in Ilorin, the state capital last week Wednesday by the state chairman, Prince Sunday Fagbemi.
Others kidnapped included Mr Daniel Adewuyi, the Isapa Ward Chairman
of the local government; the Eruku Ward chairman; Women Leader Eruku; Women Leader Obbo Ile, and Chairman Obbo Ile Ward as well as Women Leader Koro ward, Mrs. Abolaji, who is now dead and the Women Leader for Isapa Ward.
Those who escaped were reported to have been immeditely rushed to the hospital by Hon. Oluwole, a state House of Assembly member representing Ekiti state constituency and the Ekiti Local Government APC Chairman, Mr Wale Awelewa, on Wednesday. They had since been treated and discharged, according to sources.
Since then, the sources added that four Hilux four-wheel drive vehicles fully loaded with soldiers as well as other security agencies were said to have been deployed to the area, combing the forests with a view to rescue the abductees and arrest the kidnappers.
However, it was a sad news on Sunday that late Mrs. Abolaji had been caught in a cross fire between the security forces and the kidnappers said to be carrying more advanced weapons, while tryinng to pay up the ransom allegedly demanded by the kidnappers, who were reported to be Fulani.
The kidnappers had earlier reportedly demanded for a ransom of N20 million.
Efforts to get official reactions from the Kwara State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Ajayi Okasanmi, till late Sunday evening proved abortive. He was not picking his calls, neither did he respond to enquiries made on the Police WhatsApp page on the matter.
