The corpse of a victim abducted last Saturday at Olla community in Isin Local Government Area of Kwara State has been found in a forest, close to the community.
It will be recalled that unknown gunmen invaded Olla community on Saturday, at about 7 pm, shot sporadically, ambushed and kidnapped one Adegboyega Onijala, said to be a relation of a monarch in the town.
The kidnappers also demanded millions of naira as a ransom for the release of the victim.
Part of the ransom was reportedly paid but the kidnappers ended up killing the victim.
A member of the victim’s family, who requested anonymity, revealed that the victim lost much blood as a result of the injury sustained from machete cuts in the hands of the kidnappers in the forest.
Confirming the incident, the spokesman of the Kwara Police command, SP Ajayi Okasanmi, said the body was discovered in the forest by a combined team of police and local hunters.
According to him, “The Kwara State Police Command wishes to inform the good people of Kwara State about the recovery of the dead body of one Olujala Adegboja ‘m’ aged 56, who was kidnapped on the 19/11/2021 at Olla town in Isin Local government area of Kwara State.
“The command wishes to express her condolences to the people of Olla in particular and Kwara State in general and to state that every available human and material resources to the command was deployed in the effort to get the deceased rescued alive, but unfortunately, the reverse was the case, as he died as a result of the severe injuries to his left hand inflicted on him by the kidnappers in the struggle to subdue him.
“When information received from the team of vigilante and local hunters coopted into the search for the victim to the effect that his dead body has been found deep inside the bush, and has been handed over to the family by the police, because of the decomposing condition of the body.
“Effort is still ongoing to arrest the culprits as we believe some of the criminals must have suffered some gunshot injuries in the course of exchange of gunfire with our men.
“The Commissioner of Police Kwara State Command, CP Tuesday Assayomo, once again commensurate with the family of the deceased and further assures the people of Kwara State that the Command will not relent in her effort to see that criminality of any nature and shape are brought down to a minimal level before, during and after the yuletide period in the state.”
The victim, said to be a brother of a former aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Hon. Onijala, was ambushed by the kidnappers on his way home from his farm around the community in an operation that lasted almost for an hour.