The traditional ruler of Osi community where a woman and her stepson were abducted on Sunday evening, Oba David Olajide, on Tuesday afternoon escaped from the hands of kidnappers who attempted to abduct him.
The suspected kidnappers who are Fulani herdsmen, numbering six, blocked the road leading to the community with cows which prevented the monarch and other occupants of his vehicle to gain access into the community.
The hoodlums who immediately attacked the monarch vehicle after it was forced to stop, were surprised that the monarch was not alone in the car and took to their heels leaving one of the herders behind.
Speaking on his attack, Oba Olajide explained that he was coming from the Police headquarters after receiving the good news that the woman and her stepson abducted on Sunday had regained freedom.
According to him, “they used the cows to stop my car while some six men came out from the bush, hitting my vehicle and ordering me to come out, but they were disappointed to see many people coming out from the car.”
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“They ran back into the bush while the young boy who was acting as their surveillance was apprehended because he could not leave the cows and was handed over to the police”.
The monarch who alleged the Fulani herdsmen within the area and Shasha community of masterminding abduction in the area said, “most of the victims disclosed that the hoodlums usually leave for Shasha to charge their phones to communicate with their victims’ families to negotiate for ransom.”
Explaining how the woman and her stepson, Mrs. Olawumi Adeleye and Destiny Paul, regained their freedom, the monarch said the two victims escaped from the kidnappers’ den in the middle of the night when their abductors were sleeping.
He said that it took them so many hours to get to Eleyowo/Araromi community early in the the morning and were moved to Police headquarters, where he met them before he was attacked by the hoodlums.
He, however, said that the family of the victims had paid N400,000 ransom without knowing the victims had fled from their abductors.
The monarch appealed to the state government and other relevant authorities to put security measures in place to put an end to the kidnapping incidents in the area.
Meanwhile, the herder who was alleged to be serving as a spy for the kidnappers on the lonely route had been apprehended and handed over to the police.
Confirming the incident, the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Mr. Femi Joseph, said one of the suspected kidnappers had been arrested while the command had begun investigation into the matter.
Joseph, who said detectives from the command were on the trail of the kidnappers, said: “I am assuring you that they will soon be arrested and brought to book.”
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