Gunmen kidnap retired headmaster in Edo, demand N70m ransom
Gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen have reportedly abducted a retired headmaster, Mr. Eliaser Olorunloju, near a Fulani settlement in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State.
The abduction reportedly took place between Sasaro and Ayetoro, along the deteriorating Igarra–Uneme-Nekhua–Ibillo Road in the Akoko-Edo axis.
According to reports, Olorunloju was returning to Ugboshi-Ele from Igarra, the local government headquarters, after making photocopies of some documents in preparation for his son’s resumption at a tertiary institution.
It was gathered on Monday that his abductors had reportedly contacted the family and were demanding N70 million.
The Director of Operations and Strategy, Concerned Minds Initiative of Akoko-Edo (CMIA), Comrade Victor Arogunyo, confirmed the incident on Monday.
“The incident occurred around Aiyetoro–Somorika Junction, close to a Fulani settlement on the Ibillo–Uneme–Nekhua–Igarra Road. This is another sad reminder that Akoko-Edo is under siege,” he said.
“In the last few months, this is about the fifth kidnapping that has taken place on the same spot, close to that camp, which is less than five minutes’ trekking distance away from there. The government must do something about this. I called his traditional ruler and he said they called on Sunday evening demanding N70 million.”
He identified bad roads, criminal herders, poor funding of security, low morale among vigilantes and hunters, and weak prosecution of arrested suspects as key factors fuelling insecurity across the entire Edo North axis.
