A brother to the aide of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Olujala Adegboja, and eight other people have been kidnapped by gunmen in two different locations in Kwara State.
The 56-year-old was reportedly kidnapped on Friday by six gunmen in Olla in the Isin Local Government Area of Kwara State, while the eight factory workers were kidnapped on Saturday by gunmen at Sosoki, near Alapa, in the Asa Local Government Area of the state.
Olujala, aka Oni-Jay, a brother to Ambassador Olutola Onijala, an aide to Jonathan and a former gubernatorial aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party in Kwara State, was accosted by gunmen in his white Hilux van while returning from his farm at Olla around 7pm on Friday.
Oni-Jay reportedly resisted the gunmen, but was later overpowered after receiving machete cuts in different parts of his body.
Eyewitnesses said the gunmen shot sporadically into the air to stop residents from interfering during the scuffle.
A source said the hoodlums got in touch with the family to request a ransom of N200m, which was negotiated to N10m on Sunday.
In the second incident, seven armed men reportedly stormed the Lafrcdeen Pure Water Factory, Sosoki village, Asa, and kidnapped eight workers, including the owner, Fatima Nurudeen.
The Kwara State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Ajayi Okasanmi, who confirmed the two incidents in a statement on Sunday, said seven of the factory workers had been rescued.
He said, “On receipt of the information, the Commissioner of Police, Kwara State Command, Tuesday Assayomo, immediately unleashed the command’s tactical teams with the local hunters and vigilantes to the area to rescue the victims and arrest the hoodlums. The effort resulted in the rescue of seven out of the eight abducted workers. The command is getting close to rescuing the remaining victim who happens to be the owner of the factory and possible arrest of the kidnappers.”
