Tag: Folashade Odoro

The remaining four staff of Osun College of Technology, Esa-Oke, who were kidnapped on their way from work on Tuesday, have regained their freedom, according to the police.

The Police Public Relations Officer in Osun, Mrs Folashade Odoro, confirmed their release to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday.

Odoro said that the abducted staff regained freedom in the early hours of Friday and had all been reunited with their families, but did not give details on the release.

“The remaining four abducted staff of the college have been released and have been reunited with their families.

“Efforts are still ongoing to arrest the gunmen that kidnapped them and the police will not stop until the perpetrators are brought to justice.” she said.

The police spokesperson however did not say whether or not ransom was paid for their release, but queried, “how can ransom be paid to abductors that were not seen?”

NAN recalls that suspected gunmen kidnapped eight staff of the college, and also killed one other who tried to resist being kidnapped.

Read Also: Gunmen kidnap six Osun College of Tech workers

The gunmen later freed four on Wednesday and there have been little or no details on how they regained their freedom.

The institution’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Adewale Oyekanmi, had told NAN how the abduction took place.

He said that the institution’s staff were attacked and kidnapped around 4:30 pm while leaving the college premises after close of work on Tuesday.

Oyekanmi said the gunmen blocked the Esa-Oke Road leading to the college campus, stopped the staff vehicles plying the route and abducted them.

“One of the staff was shot and killed when he did not stop and was trying to escape in his car.

“The police, the DSS and men of the OPC are however helping in combing the bushes to see if they can rescue the kidnapped staff.” he said

Eight staff of Osun College of Technology, Esa-Oke were on Tuesday kidnapped by unidentified gunmen.

The Public Relations Officer of the college, Mr Adewale Oyekanmi, made this known in a phone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Osogbo.

According to him, the gunmen also shot dead another staff who attempted to escape from the scene of the incident at about 4:30pm.

Oyekanmi explained that the gunmen blocked Esa-Oke Road (a road leading to the college campus), stopped several vehicles including the victims’ vehicles and abducted them.

“So far, the gunmen have not made contact with the families of the kidnapped persons or with the college management.

“The police, Department of State Security and men of the OPC are combing the bushes to see if they can rescue the kidnapped staff,” he said.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mrs Folashade Odoro, said the police were aware of the matter, adding that it would soon issue an official statement.

This would be the second incident in the year that gunmen would kidnap people while on transit in the state.

In June, a Methodist priest and two elders of the church were kidnapped on Iwo-Osogbo Road, while returning to Osogbo from Ile-Ogbo after a church meeting.

NAN