Chief David Obadofin, a well-known cashew farmer and community leader from the rural village of Aghara in Kogi State’s Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area, reportedly passed away in the kidnappers’ hideout on Easter Sunday.
Twelve days after being abducted, he was reported to have passed away last Thursday.
Temidayo Elewa, a woman who was also kidnapped with him, has since been released.
She was released at Obajana in the state’s Lokoja Local Government Area, where family members had picked her up on Saturday morning to receive medical care.
According to a source involved in the negotiations, when the kidnappers realised Pa. Obadofin was getting too weak, they agreed to demand N2m in exchange for the release of the two victims and began applying pressure to get the money.
Temidayo was separated to a different location while being blindfolded. Pa Obadofin sadly passed away before the ransom could be paid.
Conscious of the advance of a search group, made up of hunters, vigilantes and some Fulani volunteers, the gunmen set Temidayo free on Thursday.
She roamed the jungle alone from Thursday to Friday before she met a sawing machine operator, who eventually led her to freedom.
Her claims that the search party nabbed one of the suspects who helped in efforts to recover Pa Obadofin’s corpse could not be ascertained.
“We saw the lady and took her to hospital. We picked her up in a village behind Obajana. As for Baba, we know he is dead but we are still combing the jungle for his remains.
“We will not let go because we are confident that God will guide our efforts to the root of this disaster. We will not let go or give up,” an anonymous source involved in the operations said.
Obadofin and Temidayo were abducted on Easter Monday from his farm residence in Aghara at 11pm. The gunmen shot Madam Toyin Onare, a widow who was on the farm as a labourer.
Toyin was rushed to the hospital in Kabba, about 35 minutes drive away, where she was confirmed dead on arrival.
There were concerns about Obadofin’s chances of survival as he was said to be on medication for age-related diseases aside from the trauma and rough treatment he received from the gunmen.
The gunmen made contact the following day, demanding N60m ransom. The late chief allegedly said the gunmen fed them with roasted yam.
Contacted, the public relations officer of Kogi State Police Command, SP William Aya, said that he was not aware of the death of the farmer but promised to find out and get back to our correspondent.
He, however, had not done so as of the time of filing this report.
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