Dayo Johnson
22 August 2008
BARELY 20 days after 11 People's Democratic Party (PDP) chieftains in Ondo State were kidnapped by militants, another six chieftains of the party, including the Chairman of the State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (OSOPADEC), Chief Adewale Omojuwa, yesterday became the latest victims of kidnapping in the state.
Kidnapped with him at Igbokoda were five memebrs of OSOPADEC in Kukute Adewale, Raphael Nomiye, Temidire Olowoparija, Timothy Akinbode and Abass Fagbemi and the Commission's Director of Finance and Administration, Mr. Ghenga Ale. They were kidnapped by a group that goes by the name "Guama Boys".
Vanguard gathered that the kidnappers came in 16 boats to effect the abduction of the chairman and his commissioners. On arrival in the riverine town, the kidnappers started shooting, sending everybody scampering for safety.
All the victims are in the management team of the commission, an intervention agency established by the state government to cater for the oil communities in the riverine areas of the state.
Eyewitness account told Vanguard that they were kidnapped on the high sea by the militants who in a commando like style double-crossed them and took them to unknown destination.
The state government in a swift reaction, described it as criminal, reprehensible and unacceptable.
Information, Orientation and Mobilisation Commissioner, Eddy Olafeso said the youths should employ dialogue if there were issues to be discussed instead of taking the law into their hands.
The Police in the state said that the command was yet to be briefed of the development in the oil rich areas of the state.
Police spokesman in the state, Mr. Adeniran Aremu told newsmen that the command was still awaiting detailed briefing from its men in Igbokoda.
In neighbouring Ugbo and Ugbonla some militants shot sporadically threatening to shoot journalists and the advance team of the commission that were returning to Akure the state capital after the kidnap.
The Commandant of the Forward Operation Base (FOB) of the Navy, J. D. Jaja later led his men to the creeks in a bid to secure the release of the abducted personnel.
The commission also raised a team to move to the creeks.
Vanguard learnt that immediately the politicians were kidnapped, they were taken to the creeks in Delta State where they are being detained.
The kidnapped chieftains and their aides took off at Igbonla for Awoye for a stakeholders forum organised by the commission for all the oil rich communities in the state before they ran into the ambush already laid for them by the kidnappers.
The kidnappers first disarmed the security personnel attached to the chairman and his commissioners on the high sea and went away with their riffles.
The orderly to the chairman was later released by the militants before they took the management team to the creeks.
The advance team including journalists and prominent traditional rulers in the oil rich communities had arrived the Awoye community before the information on the kidnap filtered to them.
Immediately the news got to them there was stampede as all the invited guests fled in different direction in a bid to escape.
Simultaneously, some youths in Ugbonla launched a protest against the laying off of some of them by a construction company in the area.
They marched through the town with dangerous weapons threatening to disrupt the activities of the company which is working on the Multi billion naira Adagbakuja reclamation project.
Speaking with newsmen after the incident the Chairman of the PDP in Ugbo ward 6 Oyetakin Adedoyin said the protesters were complaining of marginalization by the state government.
Militants recently kidnapped nine chieftains of the party at Agadagba, in Ese-odo council area of Ondo state. They were released after ten days in captivity
Those kidnapped include a special adviser on chieftaincy matters in Ese-Odo Local Government Area Chief Normal Eleme, Kekemeke Mike, Maimaise Kekemeke, Okey Inakedou, Friday Okeamniniwei, Oriamaja Success, Onuwe Bibi and Edwin Okakpo.
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i predicted this a few days ago, it is going to be worldwide. there will be no hiding place for anyone who has stolen nigerians money. this is the begining of the d day. there will be no dialogue. it is either the looters return this loot on earth to nigeria, or they return them in hell. just watch. even the security police/army men, will turn against those they are protecting. there will be total breakdown of law and order. that is how bad things will become, until all the loots are recovered. i am as usual, capital G.C.