Police trail abductors of ex-FCE provost, driver in Ogun 

Ogun State Commissioner of Police (CP), Alamutu Abiodun, has assured that detectives from the Command are on the trail of abductors of the immediate past provost of Federal College of Education, Osiele, Abeokuta, Dr Ayodele Adetayo Ajayi, on his way from Olodo to Abeokuta.

Gunmen abducted the former provost, his wife and driver on Tuesday, July 25, at about 7:00p.m. at Ikija village, the Olodo axis of the Abeokuta-Ibadan  expressway.   The Guardian gathered that Ajayi’s wife was later released, while he and his driver were taken away.

A resident of the area said the gunmen came out of the bush to attack Ajayi and other motorists along the road.  The resident, who pleaded anonymity, said the gunmen after shooting sporadically into the air blocked the road and whisked their victims away.  The source, who lamented the increasing rate of abduction in the area claimed that no fewer than five persons have been kidnapped in the last one week in the area.

“Just yesterday (Monday), the gunmen abducted five persons, but two out of them were later released.   “Also, last month, three people were killed. Among those who were killed was a popular businessman who operated a big farm along the axis.

“The Olu of Odeda, Oba David Olorunisola, was almost kidnapped this week while his driver was shot and is still receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Abeokuta.  “We need help, this is getting too much. Our people are no longer safe, we need government’s intervention and the security agencies to wake up to their responsibilities,” he said.  Confirming the development, spokesperson for Ogun State Police Command, Superintendent of Police (SP), Omolola Odutola, in a statement, yesterday, said the Command received  a distress call from a passenger,  who called  the incident toll lines at about 18:13p.m. on July 25, 2023.

According to her, the voice of the caller echoed in panic that the road on which their bus was plying was blocked by armed robbers and they were forced to park due to fear.

She said: “Not quite long after that another report was received through a direct message from a staff of Federal College of Education that their immediate past provost, Dr Ajayi, was kidnapped on his way from Olodo to Abeokuta some minutes back. There is no cause for alarm as the CP has deployed operational teams and detectives of the Ogun Police Command to go after the yet to be identified gunmen.

“They will be rescued as assured by CP Abiodun because all the security agencies are on joint operation combing the bush, efforts of Police, Amotekun Corps, vigilantes and hunters have been mobilised into the forest in strict order to apprehend the gunmen and rescue the victims alive.

“The wife of the man, who was also kidnapped, but later left behind due to hot chase from the policemen, has been rushed to the hospital. The gunmen abandoned their victim’s vehicle and took the car owner and his driver with them. Though it was from other sources that the police got an unconfirmed wind of who the kidnappers took away as Dr Adetayo Ajayi of Osiele Abeokuta.

“Updates would be made available to the public, once any is available from police officers trailing the kidnappers.”