Kidnappers kill Ondo APC Chairman despite N5m ransom payment, police combs forest

The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ifon, Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State, Nelson Adepoyigi, has been killed by his abductors.

Mr Adepoyigi, who served as the APC chairman for Ward 5 in Ifon, was kidnapped on Monday night at around 11pm, just as he was about to enter his house along the Ifon/Owo road.

Initially, his captors demanded a ransom of N100 million, which his family later negotiated down to N5 million.

In an unexpected turn, two men identified as Bayode Loco and Isimeri, who were sent to deliver the ransom on Wednesday, were also seized by the abductors.

The kidnappers subsequently made a fresh demand of N30 million for the release of all three men.

However, on Sunday, the Chairman of Ose Local Government, Clement Kolapo Ojo, confirmed that Mr Adepoyigi had been killed in captivity.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Oluwaseun Ogunniyi, Mr Ojo explained that the two ransom bearers were freed to relay the sad news of Mr Adepoyigi’s death. He expressed deep sorrow over the killing, stating, “While we are grateful that the two volunteers have now regained their freedom, it is deeply saddening and utterly painful that the life of Mr. Nelson Adepoyigi was brutally cut short by his captors. The entire leadership and people of Ose Local Government mourn this tragic loss. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and political associates of the deceased.”

The council chairman lamented the growing insecurity in the region, highlighting that the incident follows a series of abductions in the area. He urged the federal government to urgently support Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s administration in tackling rising banditry and violent crimes in Ondo State.

Mr Ojo praised the late Adepoyigi’s commitment to grassroots politics and the APC’s progress in the community, promising that his memory would be honoured.

He added, “We are now at a critical juncture where security challenges have become a serious threat to the safety and freedom of our people. Only a few days before this incident, another resident narrowly escaped being kidnapped while parking his motorcycle. This pattern of brazen abductions, even at the gates of people’s homes, confirms that insecurity has taken a dangerous and intolerable dimension.”

When contacted, the state Commissioner of Police, Wilfred Afolabi, confirmed that officers from the command’s tactical team had launched a search operation in the Ifon forests to confirm the chairman’s death and track down the kidnappers.

“That’s the update I can give you for now. Our men are all over there to comb the forest, especially to smoke out the captors,” he told News360 Nigeria.