70-year-old pastor regains freedom
PRECISELY 105 days after he was kidnapped, the decomposing body of Dr Paul Erie, a lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State was yesterday exhumed in the forest between Orhionmwon and Igueben Local Councils where he was buried by his captors after he allegedly died in their hands.

The exhumation followed the arrest of some members of the gang believed to have abducted him when he visited his Igbanke community where he was a palace chief on June 16 and was never seen again.

The Guardian authoritatively gathered that not less than five persons have been arrested in connection with the crime including a member of the vigilante group in the community who is suspected to have been supplying the seven-man gang with bullets.

The police leadership from Abudu and Igbanke led a team of policemen and members of the vigilante into the place where they buried him, but civilians were no allowed to follow them. They said the decomposing body of Dr Erie was exhumed from the spot. He was buried naked, they also found his sim card and some other luggage believed to belong to some of their other victims in the grave they buried him. But we have not been told of how he died” and eyewitness from the community told The Guardian yesterday.

As at the time of filing this report, the body and other exhibits were being taken to the State Command headquarters in Benin City for further investigation.

The Guardian had reliably gathered two days ago that two suspects were picked by the police in the area who were said to have later led the police to their camp.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Stephen Onwochei, said he could not confirm the development but would find out and get back to the press.

It would be recalled that Erie was said to have visited home on the fateful day “and he was exchanging pleasantries with his neighbours in Ignake where he was a palace chief when dogs started barking in his house which is not fenced. He adduced the barking to the usual action of the dogs when the overhead water tank in his house was filled and immediately decided to go back to his house not knowing that his abductors were lurking in the premises.

He drove into the compound they immediately pounced on him, took him into the house at gun point and went away with cash and some electronics. They took the person with him in the car and threw him into the booth while they took my friend away in their vehicle” a close friend related this to The Guardian then.

It was gathered that the abductors opened talks with the family and first demanded N30 million which they later reduced to N12 million and that they subsequently told the family members to drop whatever they could raise at a spot and that their breadwinner would be released but he had neither been seen nor had the abductors contacted anybody since then.

In a related case, after spending 10 days in suspected Fulani kidnappers’ den, the pastor of Apostolic Faith Church, Ilepa, Ikare-Akoko, in Akoko North East Local Council of Ondo State, Reverend Japhet Obafemi has regained his freedom.

The Guardian gathered that the 70-year-old clergyman was released by his abductors at Ise-Akoko, which is few kilometres away from where he was kidnapped last week Monday, the same day as Chief Olu Falae.
Recounting his ordeal yesterday, Pastor Obafemi who sustained injury on his head, disclosed that he trekked over six kilometres from the bush where he was released in Ise-Akoko without paying any ransom.

Community people, folks, prominent personalities and religious leaders have been visiting the Obafemis in the mission house to felicitate with them and church members over their pastor’s release.

The caretaker chairman of Akoko North East LGA, Alhaji Azeez Al-Amam, appreciated the media, security agencies and Governor Olusegun Mimiko for the selfless roles played in ensuring the release of the clergyman.
Earlier, the distraught family of the Apostolic Faith clergy had appealed to the Ondo State Government, Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Directorate of State Service to come to their rescue.

The news of his kidnap, which only became loudest after Falae was released on Sallah afternoon, confirmed the influx of a terror Fulani group, which leaves the lives and property of more than 3 million people across the 18 local councils precarious and uncertain.

The wife of the victim, Mrs Hannah Obafemi implored the state government and security operatives to come to their aid, so that more harm would not befall her husband whom he said was recently discharged from the hospital after a protracted illness that lasted over one year.

She told The Guardian that the kidnappers whisked her husband off into an unknown dungeon, sparing their son, Ope Obafemi, who was driving the father’s black KIA Optima car, and a friend, Gbenga Adelana, on their way from Ayetoro Gbede, a community in Kogi State.
Mrs Obafemi said the kidnappers had contacted the family and demanded for ransom of N16 million, which was later haggled to N3 million last weekend. She fretted that the kidnappers gave them a three-day ultimatum that would lapse last Monday.

The clergy’s wife, a primary school teacher, disclosed that when pleading to the abductors that they could not source for such huge ransom, they snarled at them to sell all their properties to raise the ransom.
Ope, who is an eyewitness and the one driving the car when the unfortunate incident occurred, confirmed that they were attacked with guns, daggers, cutlasses and other deadly weapons along Auga-Akunnu Road when coming from Kogi state by about 13 Fulani herdsmen.

He said they were maltreated and shoved roughly by the kidnappers, who spared him and his friend, Gbenga, 27, and dashed into the bush with his father.

Speaking with the state Commissioner of Police, Mike Ogbodu on phone, he said all hands were on deck to secure the release of the clergy, but dispelled the Fulani allegation saying, “We are not aware of anything about Fulani, it is not only Fulani who kidnap; anybody, anything can happen. It has not been linked to any ethnicity, there is nothing like that.”