Joseph Iduoriyekemwen, the 90-year-old father of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate for Edo South Senatorial District, Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, has reportedly been abducted.

Family sources said armed men, who identified themselves as officers of the Nigeria Police Force and the Edo State Security Network (ESSN), took Pa Iduoriyekemwen away from his residence at about 4:00 a.m. yesterday.

His whereabouts remained unknown as of press time.

Matthew, who confirmed the incident to journalists, said the family was not allowed to speak with his father before he was taken away.

The reported abduction has, however, triggered a denial from the Edo State Government, which described any suggestion of its involvement as morally reprehensible.

The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Prince Kassim Afegbua, also condemned what he described as the hasty accusation that the state government orchestrated the incident, as well as attempts to link the incident to politics while details remained sketchy.

Afegbua said it was worrisome that some persons had alleged that the incident was politically motivated without sufficient information about what happened.

He said the administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo had continued to prioritise security and urged residents to support security agencies rather than use the incident to score political points.

He said: “What could possibly be the motivation for anyone to abduct such a father and grandfather?

“Governor Monday Okpebholo has invested heavily in our security infrastructure, and the level of alertness across the state and Benin City metropolis has been top-notch.

“This present act of criminality presents a disturbing trend at a time when we thought such an act was no longer possible. As a government, we remain undaunted in our resolve to provide watertight security across the state.

“The governor has immediately directed the security agencies to work in synergy to seek the release of Pa Joseph within the next 24 hours.”

He added: “The governor has called on the security agencies to rescue Pa Joseph and safely return him to rejoin his family within the next 24 hours.”

When contacted, the Edo State Police spokesperson, Eko Ikoedem, said she would issue a statement on the incident.