Tony Osauzo, Benin
The decomposing body of former Edo State Commissioner for Youths and Sports and former Chairman, Ovia North East Local Government Area, Hon Egbe Ediagbonya, has been recovered from a forest near his farm in Utese, 19 days after he was reportedly abducted from the farm.
He was said to have been abducted in the early hours of May 16 in his farm in Utese.
The abductors of the former commissioner were said to have initially demanded N15 million ransom but later directed the family to go and drop N2 million in Patani in Delta State.
Sunday Sun learnt that shortly after the family dropped the ransom, the abductors reportedly sent an SMS to the family that their victim’s body was in a cassava farm near Utese where he was abducted.
It was further learnt that a team of hunters and farmers found the body after they were attracted to the scene by a strong stench. Some bottles of soft drinks and red oil were said to have been found at the vicinity Ediagbonya’s body was found.
Spokesman of the Edo State Police Command, Chidi Nwabuzor, who confirmed the development in a statement yesterday, said the body was found “by some farmers in a forest sharing boundary with Ondo State at Utese Village.
“The farmers who were apprehensive about the horrible sight rushed to the Village to break the news, thereafter moved to the Divisional Police Headquarters, Okada and reported the development to the Divisional Police Officer of the station.