chief olu falae / credit: sunday aborisade
Negotiation is still going on between the family of a former Minister of Finance, Chief Olu Falae, and his abductors as the latter has reduced the ransom demanded for his release from N100m to N90m.
It was learnt that the family had, however, been able to raise a sum N2m, which was reportedly rejected by the kidnappers.
A family source said the abductors called the family on Monday and said the family should raise N90m if they could not afford the N100m earlier demanded.
“At the time they called us on Monday night, they said they could only reduce the ransom to N90m, but we begged them to collect N2m, which they rejected.
“They said they would call us back today (Tuesday), but as I am talking to you. they have yet to do that,” the source said.
When contacted on the telephone, the Public Relations Officer of the state Police Command, Mr. Wole Ogodo, said the police were still making efforts to ensure that the victim, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, was released alive .
However, the Personal Assistant to Falae, Mr. Moshood Raji, alleged that Fulani herdsmen were behind the kidnap of his boss, noting that there had been incessant face-off between the herdsmen and the Afenifere Chieftain over their frequent invasion of Falae’s farm.
He said, “The Fulani herdsmen always invade the farm and this has caused a lot of problem between them and baba (Falae).
“Some weeks ago, we arrested some of them and detained them at the state command headquarters.
“There was a time that the secretary of the Fulani community told baba to erect a fence around his big farm so that his men would not be entering it with their cattle. He also threatened that baba should ensure that nothing happened to his people and their cows.”
Meanwhile, the Ondo State House of Assembly has condemned the abduction of Falae.
The House, at a plenary presided over by the Speaker, Jumoke Akindele, also called on security agencies to bring to book those behind the “dastardly act.
Akindele said the kidnap of Falae, the National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, was uncalled for, having contributed immensely to the state and the nation at large.
The Speaker also called on the Federal Government to consider the 2014 confab report which recommended state police as the solution to increasing cases of insecurity.
In the same vein, the state Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Mr. Isaac Kekemeke, called on the state government and security agencies to ensure that the abductors were arrested.
Kekemeke, in a statement, said, “The state government must regulate the activities of these itinerant heardsmen, just as it regulates citizen’s use of public utilities.
“ These lawless herdsmen, if they must live in Ondo State, cannot be law unto themselves.”
In a related development, the South West farmers, popularly known as Agbekoya, on Tuesday demanded an unconditional release of Falae by his abductors or risk the wrath of its members across Yorubaland.
The farmers, under the aegis of All Farmers Association of Nigeria, South-West geo-political zone, also issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the abductors.
The AFAN S/W Zonal Coordinator, Chief Olusegun Dasaolu, announced the ultimatum in Abeokuta on Tuesday in company with the secretary of the association, Ogunjinmi Abiodun.
Dasaolu said, “The association is not unaware of the running battle between Falae and the Fulani herdsmen.
“We are ready to mobilise all farmers in the entire region to comb everywhere in the entire Yorubaland in search of Chief Falae.”
He noted that whatever affected Chief Falae on his farm could also affect any of the farmers in the geo-political zone.
He also appealed to Fulani farmers who had been living peacefully with their host communities across the South-West to join hands with AFAN in search of Chief Falae.
Dasaolu also called on security agencies to, as a matter of urgency, ensure that Chief Falae was released unconditionally and unhurt.
He said, “AFAN is not taking it lightly with the abductors; it is absurd, unacceptable.
“Our utmost interest is that Chief Falae should be released unhurt and unconditionally.”
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