657 Days After Ex-NNPC Director’s Kidnap, Whereabouts Still Unknown

*Family accuses security agencies  of complicity

Fidelis David in Akure

Families of a 62-year-old former staff of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr. Segun Akinmeji, who was kidnapped under suspicious circumstances for over 21 months now have appealed to Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, to intervene on the matter.

THISDAY gathered that Akinmeji, native of Irele Local Government Area of Ondo State, who retired from NNPC and got all his retirement benefits in December 2020, as a director and top management staff, was abducted alongside two of his workers, Mr. Azeez Sikiru, and a tiler identified as Ibrahim, at his (Akinmeji) farm located in Iju-Itaogbolu, in Akure North Local Government Area of the state, on Saturday January 30, 2021.

The whereabouts of the victims have since been a mystery as THISDAY also gathered that the incident took place on the last Saturday of the month, an environmental sanitation day, which restricts human and vehicular movement from 7:00am to 10:00am monthly.
While speaking with journalists in Akure, the family spokesperson and representative of the Akinmeji family, Mr. Samson Akinmeji, lamented that the entire family in Irele Local Government Area of the state have been thrown into despair in the past 657 days.

He explained that Akinmeji had only retired home to contribute to the economic development of his country and help reduce unemployment as a responsible citizen by investing millions of naira in the state, but was preyed upon by the wicked.
Akinmeji, who is a brother to the former NNPC staff, recounted that the immediate family and wife of the victim told the family that they were kidnapped on January 30, while sources at Iju reported that it was on January 15, 2021.

He added: “The circumstances surrounding their sudden disappearance for the past 21 months show that it was an abduction orchestrated by persons that are very close to him, not leaving the immediate family and workers on the farm out of any benefit of doubt.
“Mr. Akinmeji just retired from NNPC service in December 2020 and the kidnappers must have been aware that he just got his pension and gratuities, which will definitely be a huge amount of money.

“On that fateful day, all the regular staff of the farm, who had accommodation on the farm, were also absent; giving suspicious alibi as defence from the scene of crime. Being a sanitation day, Sikiru, who has been working on the farm and close confidant with Mr Akinmeji, contacted two other persons to work on an ongoing project in the farm.

“The three persons are: Sikiru, Ibrahim and one Aliu Akeem. They left earlier to the farm on Sikiru’s motorcycle before sanitation began by 7:00am.”
According to him, “It was revealed by tracking on Mr. Akinmeji’s line that Sikiru, who was the head job-man, called his boss severally, perhaps waiting for him to come. It was learnt that the farm owner got there between 11:00pm to noon; and the unknown gunmen pounced on them shortly he arrived the farm. So, it was premeditated.

“The unknown gunmen whisked away three out of the four persons they met on the farm: Mr. Akinmeji, Sikiru and Ibrahim, while Akeem managed to escape the abduction.”
Narrating further, he said: “He ran away with Sikiru’s bike, reported at Iju Police Station but with a fake name and disappeared into the thin air for many months.
“He neither returned to Sikiru’s wife to report the incident nor returned her husband’s motorcycle.”

Speaking on the alleged complicity in kidnapping, as reported by the wife, Mrs. Comfort Akinmeji, he added that, “The police sprang into action and organised a search party alongside Amotekun Security Outfit, local hunters and OPC members to no avail. In one of the searches, after the kidnappers had contacted the family members for N100 million ransom, an OPC member, who was later discovered to be a former staff of the farm owner, was overzealous and didn’t wait to be teamed amongst the search groups: went alone to the bush and was killed by the kidnappers.

“After a while, the search groups returned to the rendezvous, where they had departed, but the deceased OPC member was missing. They went back to the bush to look for him but found him murdered in cold blood under suspicious circumstances: his face was covered, his hands and legs were tied, and was shot at very close range.”

He revealed further that “As confirmed by the immediate past Commissioner for Police, Mr. Bolaji Salami, the OPC member must have identified the kidnappers, who killed him to cover up their tracks and identities.
“The kidnappers only contacted the family the first week of February and the ransom was negotiated to N20 million, which was raised by relatives overseas and well-wishers at home.

“While speaking with family members from the kidnappers’ den, my brother asked the family to give his abductors whatever they wanted, informing them that his captors were people who know him very well and know that he could afford their demands.”

He disclosed that the attempt to pay ransom was to no avail, lamenting that the security agencies failed to give a clue on the whereabouts of the former NNPC staff. He also expressed frustration at the huge money spent at Anti-Kidnapping Units of the police that yielded no result.
The family appealed to Ondo State government, DSS, police, NSCDC, Amotekun Corps and other relevant security agencies to wade into the matter to unravel the circumstances surrounding the mysterious disappearance of their kinsman.

“Our son and brother is the pride of the family and Ondo State at large and should not just be missing like that without any clue to his whereabouts.
“He is a benefactor to everyone that came his way and we cannot afford to miss such a rare gem. We appeal to the state Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, to intervene in this matter.

“Our ‘talk-and-do-Governor’ should re-open this matter by keeping the security agencies on their toes, especially the Amotekun Corps that have been unraveling such security matters in the state.

“For years, he has been managing diabetes and keeping him perpetually away from home would further complicate his health condition. Mr Governor, as the Chief Security Officer of the state, help us bring back our kinsman.”