Gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen have reportedly abducted a retired headmaster identified as Mr Eliaser Olorunloju around a Fulani settlement in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State.
According to reports, the event happened in the Akoko-Edo Local Government Area between Sasaro and Ayetoro along the run-down Igarra–Uneme–Nekhua–Ibillo Road.
Olorunloju was reportedly returning to Ugboshi-Ele from Igarra, the local government’s headquarters, where he had gone to photocopy documents in preparation for his son’s return to a postsecondary institution.
His kidnappers reportedly phoned the family and demanded N70 million, according to information obtained on Monday.
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The incident was reported on Monday by Comrade Victor Arogunyo, Director of Operations and Strategy at the Concerned Minds Initiative of Akoko-Edo (CMIA).
“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.”
Arogunyo pointed out 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.
