From Layi Olanrewaju, Ilorin

The people of Olla in Isin Local Government Area of Kwara State woke up to the sad news that Mr Adegboyega Onijala, who was violently abducted by gunmen a few days ago, was found dead.

Mr Oni-Jay, as he was fondly called, is the junior brother of Ambassador Olutola Onijala, a former aide of President Goodluck Jonathan and a PDP Senatorial aspirant from Isin. Oni-jay remains were found by local hunters in a thick forest during a forest combing operation embarked upon by local hunters and vigilantes.

Sources close to the family said that a matchete injury sustained during his abduction must have made him lose too much blood while in forest with his abductors . The victim’s wrist was severed by his abductors he was taken to a unknown destination

The kidnappers are said to have received an undisclosed sum as part of ransom payment, fleeing the scene when they noticed that Onijala had died.

Banditry, kidnappings, armed robberies and general insecurity has been rife in Kwara South, none of which have been sufficiently curbed by state and federal authorities. The lives and properties of Kwarans are under serious threat, with farmers no longer attending to their farms due to the fear of kidnappers.

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In the past three months, more than five incidences of kidnapping and banditry have been reported across Kwara South, including the abduction of families and children of a traditional rulers.

Confirming death of the abducted victim, the Kwara State Police Command in a statement signed by Police Public Relations Officer PPRO, Okasanmi Ajayi, said: ‘The Command wishes to inform the good people of Kwara State the recovery of the dead body of one Onijala Adegboyega, ‘m’, aged 56, who was kidnapped on the 19/11/2021 at Olla town in Isin Local government area of Kwara State.

‘The Command wishes to express her condolences to the people of Olla in particular and Kwara State in general and to state that every available human and material resources to the command was deployed in the effort to get the deceased rescued alive, but unfortunately, the reverse was the case, as he died as a result of the severe injuries to his left hand inflicted on him by the kidnappers in the struggle to subdue him when information received from the team of vigilante and local hunters coopted into the search for the victim to the effect that his dead body has been found deep inside the bush, and has been handed over to the family by the police, because of the decomposing condition of the body.

‘Effort is still ongoing to arrest the culprits as we believe some of the criminals must have suffered some gunshot injuries in the course of exchange of gunfire with our men,’ the statement said.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Tuesday Assayomo, condoled with ‘the family of the deceased and further assures the people of Kwara State that the Command will not relent in her effort to see that criminality of any nature and shape are brought down to a minimal level before, during and after the yuletide period in the state.’