Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has expressed excitement and relief at the news of the release of the kidnapped expatriate with the Craneburg Construction Company who was abducted at a construction site in Owo.
Some gunmen had recently kidnapped the expatriate at Ogbonmo area of Ijebu-Owo in Owo local government area of Ondo State
The gunmen also killed a soldier, who was said to be a security escort of the victim, who is an engineer.
Reacting, Governor Akeredolu, in a statement by his chief press secretary, Richard Olatunde, described the safe return of the expatriate as delightful.
According to the governor, “I am particularly happy that the abducted personnel with the Craneburg construction company have regained freedom. We can only imagine his ordeal in the hands of his abductors.
“We also rejoice with other officials of this construction company who had been under tremendous emotional stress as they hoped for the safe return of their colleague.
“For us as a government, we appreciate the work Craneburg is doing in Ondo State. We have given them our assurance to beef up security at the construction sites henceforth.
“Since we assumed office, the Craneburg Construction Company has handled and delivered a number of our projects including the Ore flyover, just as they also handle projects in other states in the country. There was never a time when they bothered about the issue of security. They had lived peacefully with our people for over five years.”
“We understand the sad reality of insecurity across the country. In the sunshine state, we are prepared to double our efforts and tackle this menace with vigour.”