90-Year-Old Father Of ADC Candidate Abducted In Edo, Govt Denies Link

A 90-year-old nonagenarian, Pa Joseph Iduoriyekemwen, father of the Edo South Senatorial candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has been abducted by suspected gunmen from his residence in Amagba, Benin City, in the early hours of Tuesday.

The development has sparked concern in the state, particularly following suggestions in some quarters that the abduction could be politically motivated.

However, details surrounding the incident remained sketchy as of the time of filing this report, while efforts were reportedly ongoing to secure the victim’s release.

Reacting to the incident, Edo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Hon. Kassim Afegbua, condemned the abduction, describing it as “morally reprehensible,” while cautioning against linking the incident to politics without concrete evidence.

Afegbua, in a statement, said it was unfortunate for some persons to hastily accuse the state government of being behind the abduction, stressing that such allegations were capable of undermining ongoing efforts to combat insecurity in the state.

He said, “What could possibly be the motivation for anyone to abduct such a father and grandfather?” The commissioner added that Governor Monday Okpebholo had invested heavily in security infrastructure and had directed security agencies to work in synergy to secure the immediate release of Pa Iduoriyekemwen.

Afegbua also recalled that a special court established to prosecute kidnapping cases in the state recently sentenced four kidnappers to death, saying the latest incident was a disturbing development and a “huge slap in the face” of the government’s efforts to curb criminality.

The commissioner assured that the government remained committed to making Edo safe for residents irrespective of their political affiliations, while appealing to anyone with useful information on the whereabouts of Pa Iduoriyekemwen to immediately avail the security agencies of such information to facilitate his safe rescue.