Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers, on Tuesday evening, abducted the immediate-past Provost of the Federal College of Education (FCE), Osiele, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Dr. Ayodele Adetayo Ajayi.
Ajayi was kidnapped alongside with his wife and driver around 7:17pm somewhere between Ba’Agbon and Ikija Villages in the Olodo axis on the stretch of the Abeokuta – Ibadan highway in Odeda Local government area of Ogun State.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the former Provost and the two others were returning home in Abeokuta from Olodo village where his wife runs a private Nursery and Primary School when their abductors suddenly emerged from the bush, started shooting in the direction of motorists, thereby forcing all vehicular movements before pouncing on their victims.
A source close to the FCE, where Ajayi still lectures in the CRS Department, told LEADERSHIP that Ajayi’s wife was later released, but himself and his driver were taken away.
As at the time of filing this report, the abductors were yet to establish contact with either the family or the institution where Ajayi still works.
LEADERSHIP, however, recalled that kidnapping activities along the Abeokuta – Ibadan highway has being on the increase in recent times as the traditional ruler of Odeda town, the Olu of Odeda, Oba David Olorunisola, as well as a member of the Baptist Church denomination in Abeokuta metropolis was on June 19, 2023 kidnapped at the same Olodo axis.
While the driver of Oba Olorunnisola was shot and still receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, the abductors however, demanded for a N30million ransom before the Baptist Church member could be released.
When contacted, the Ogun State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Omolola Odutola, confirmed the incident but added that the Police and other security operatives were on the trail of the abductors.
“We don’t know the identity of the man yet. We cannot say whether he was a former Provost or not. But we can confirm that someone was kidnapped.
“We learnt that the victim and his wife were coming from a function. I think the wife of the man has a school and they were just returning from an event in the school when the gunmen struck.
“The gunmen took a lot of people initially, but they later released them and took the man, his wife and the driver.
“But Police and other security operatives mounted pressure on the abductors which made them to later release other people kidnapped, including the man’s wife, but the man and his driver were taken away.
“The police have recovered the vehicle of the man which was later abandoned by the abductors. We are on the trail of the abductors,” the PPRO stated.
