Abducted Osun LG vice chairman spends 22 days in captivity as negotiations continue

Twenty-two days after he was abducted by gunmen in Ora, Osun State, the Vice Chairman of Ifedayo Local Government Area, Mr Debo Farounbi, has yet to regain his freedom.

PUNCH Online reports that Farounbi was abducted at about 10 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9, in Ora, a boundary community along the Osun-Kwara border, by gunmen suspected to be bandits. Three other people were also abducted during the attack.

However, sources in the community said military personnel and local vigilantes stationed in the town mounted strong resistance, forcing the attackers to abandon three of the victims while escaping with Farounbi after a fierce gun battle.

A close family source, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to comment on the matter, told PUNCH Online on Tuesday that the abductors contacted Farounbi’s family a few days after the abduction and initially demanded a ransom of ₦200 million.

Another family source, who also requested anonymity, said the kidnappers had reduced their demand to ₦50 million after days of negotiations.

“It is true that they demanded ₦200 million. They used his mobile phone to contact his family. But after days of negotiations, the amount has been reduced to ₦50 million, but his family are still struggling to raise the money. There was a day the abductors took photographs of him and sent them to his relatives to put pressure on them. There is growing concern about his state of health.

“But as of 7 p.m. on Tuesday, he had not been released. I don’t even think there are any active search-and-rescue efforts by the security agencies anymore,” the source said.

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When contacted, the Osun State Police Command spokesperson, Abiodun Ojelabi, said the command was still working towards the safe rescue of the victim.

He added that the police were unaware of any ransom negotiations between the victim’s family and the abductors.

Ojelabi also disclosed that two suspects arrested in the forest shortly after the abduction had been arraigned and remanded in a correctional centre.

“We are still working with the information available to us to secure the victim’s safe rescue.

“Two people were arrested in the forest after the abduction and, following our investigation, they were charged to court.

“The court has since remanded them in a correctional centre. We are working hard to rescue the victim,” Ojelabi said.