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The chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ward 5 of Ose Local Government Area, Nelson Adepoyigi, was killed by kidnappers in the presence of other captives, an official has said.
“The eyewitness account said he was killed. The two people who were released confirmed that it was in their presence that he was killed,” Ose LGA chairman Clement Ojo told PREMIUM TIMES on Monday.
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Security agencies and local vigilante groups in Ose are now searching for his corpse.
Mr Adepoyigi was reportedly killed on Thursday, after ransom and food items were collected by his captors.
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PREMIUM TIMES reports that Mr Adepoyigi was the chairman of the APC in Ward 5 of Ose LGA. He was abducted at his residence located along Ifon-Owo Road in Ifon, the headquarters of Ose local government, on 12 May.
Kidnapping for ransom is common in Ose as well as in many other parts of Nigeria.
After negotiations between the kidnappers and Mr Adepoyigi’s family, the kidnappers reduced their N100 million demand to N5 million cash. They also demanded some groceries.
However, two people in the community who volunteered to take the ransom to the kidnappers were abducted at the point of delivery, bringing the kidnapped victims to three.
The kidnappers then made a fresh demand of N30 million to free the three captives, only for them to free the last two captives after reportedly killing the APC chairperson.
Search for Corpse
Although the police in Ondo State said they can not confirm the death of Mr Adepoyigi because his corpse has not been found, the two freed captives reported he was shot in their presence.
“His body has not been found. We are searching the assumed locations but we have not found him,” police spokesperson Ayanlade Olayinka said.
He said the police, in collaboration with other security groups, are after the perpetrators, and assured that they would be found and brought to justice.
However, Mr Ojo, the council chairman, noted that the eyewitness account given by the two freed persons was enough to confirm his death.
“The eyewitness account said he was killed. The two people who were released confirmed that it was in their presence that he was killed,” Mr Ojo said.
“Since there is an eyewitness account, it is not a cock-and-bull story; an eyewitness account is prima facie evidence of an event happening.
“Two people were there. They witnessed it. They told the story of what led to it and how the action was carried out. If he had not been killed, he would have come out with the others.
“The other two said they thought they too would be killed, but were surprised that they were released alive.”
The council boss said the search for the corpse was ongoing in collaboration with security agencies, adding, “We want to find the corpse so we can give him a befitting burial.”
Payment of Ransom
Mr Ojo said a ransom of N3.62 million was paid in two tranches, contrary to reports that they paid N5 million.
He said Mr Adepoyigi had been killed before the second tranche was paid, which also came with a lot of food items and beverages.
According to him, they thought they could appease the kidnappers by buying foodstuffs, but they were wrong.
He said further investigations by security agencies would reveal why the kidnappers killed the politician despite the payment of ransom.
Meanwhile, the authorities in Ose LGA have declared a three-day mourning period in honour of Mr Adepoyigi.
Mr Ojo said that the three-day mourning period in honour of the party leader is scheduled to run from 19 to 21 May.
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He said all flags within government premises in the local council are to be flown at half-mast to reflect the collective grief of the people.
Slain APC leaders
Mr Adepoyigi’s death brings the number of APC leaders killed by kidnappers in the last few months to two.
PREMIUM TIMES reported how kidnappers in Abuja killed Rauf Adeniji, the director of administration at the APC headquarters.
Mr Adeniji was kidnapped on 26 January along with his cousin, Akinropo Adesiyan, and his wife, Esther Adesiyan. The APC leader and his wife were killed by the kidnappers, and their deaths were only made public in April when some kidnap victims were freed.
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