Dele Fagoriola, a former chairman of Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State, on Tuesday, July 31, 2018, regained his freedom after three days in the den of his abductors.
However, the family paid N2 million out of the N10 million requested by the kidnappers before he was released. The kidnappers had requested for N10 million as ransom but the family pleaded for a reduction to N1 million which was rejected by the kidnappers.
Fagoriola was abducted on Saturday on his farm located at a community between Ondo and Ekiti states by seven masked men. The kidnappers contacted the victim’s wife, Adeola, and requested for the N10 million ransom.
The family of the victim and the kidnappers later settled for N2 million ransom. Fagoriola was eventually released at the same place he was abducted after the payment of the ransom.
Femi Joseph, the state Police Public Relation Officer, PPRO, had said that the state police command “would not be part of ransom payment to criminal elements”.
The release of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chieftain was confirmed by the victim’s elder brother, Busuyi. The family said a ransom was paid before the release. Joseph also confirmed the release of the former council chairman. Fagoriola family thanked the leaders of the PDP and the security agencies who facilitated his release.
Read more at NewsTelegraph
