Ondo monarch escapes abduction

A traditional ruler in Akure north local government area of Ondo State, the Iresi of Osi, Oba David Olajide, on Tuesday afternoon escaped from suspected Fulani herdsmen who attempted to kidnap him along Akure-Owo highway near Akure Airport, enroute his community.

Osi community is less than two kilometres to Akure airport and the same tactics used to abduct a mother and her stepson on Sunday evening by suspected kidnappers, was also deployed but the monarch defended himself successfully.

He was smart enough to have allegedly brought out his weapon of defence quickly when they attempted to seize him. It was learnt that the herdsmen on sighting the weapon immediately ran for safety. The monarch was said to have reported the incident to security operatives.

Meanwhile, the Ondo State police command on Tuesday however arrested a Fulani herdsman, who was allegedly among a team of kidnappers that attempted to abduct the monarch. Oba Olajide escaped from the scene by confronting the abductors.

The monarch explained that the kidnap victims (Mrs Olawumi and her stepson) were released on Tuesday’s morning and he took them to the police headquarters in Akure and on his way back to the Osi community, the kidnappers attacked him but he escaped. Oba Olajide said: “After the release of the woman, I took her and her son to the police headquarters to hand them over to the police, so on my way coming back home, the herdsmen blocked the road with their cows, the same way they kidnapped the woman and her son on Sunday when they were returning from church.

“As I got to the place, I slowed down my car and I saw them coming to attack me but I managed to escape, they hit and damaged my car but through the grace of God I escaped. Oba Olajide further stated that the one of the suspected Fulani herdsmen was later arrested shortly after the attack, saying the suspect had been handed over to the police.

Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Femi Joseph, said the suspect was in the police custody for investigation. The PPRO said, “we have the suspect with us, we are already making efforts to arrest the fleeing members of the gang and investigation has also commenced.”