Gunmen Abduct Kwara Cleric, Son, Demand N100m Ransom

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

Gunmen, suspected to be kidnappers, at the weekend struck at Oko- Olowo, a suburb of Ilorin, Kwara State, and abducted three persons.

The victims are a young Moslem Cleric, Alfa Sofiu Amolegbe, his son, Aliyu and his sibling, Fansasi.

THISDAY checks revealed that the victims were attacked at their private residence in Oko-Olowo along Ilorin-Jebba Expressway after the suspected kidnappers removed the burglary of a window in the building. It was gathered that all the moves by the cleric to escape was meet    with stiff resistance from the kidnappers who reportedly rained bullets on him and also machete him.

The father of the victims, Imam Amolegbe of Dada, Okelele area, Ilorin told journalists yesterday that the kidnappers abandoned the cleric with the thinking he was dead.

He said that “the victim is now recuperating at a private hospital in Ilorin.”

Amolegbe said that the kidnappers have contacted the family demanding for N100 million ransoms.

He said: “The kidnappers have contacted us and they are asking for N100m ransom. We have begged them to accept N10 million from us, even though we don’t have the money.

“I am appealing to the state government and men of goodwill to assist us in getting my two sons and grandson out of the den of the kidnappers.” 

Meanwhile, since the news of the sad event broke out, sympathisers have been thronging the Dada ancestral home of the victims to commiserate with their father who is a popular cleric in the area.

Some of the cleric’s associates have also been holding special prayers that could aid the safe return of the victims.

When contacted, the Spokesman of Kwara State Police Command, Okasanmi Ajayi, confirmed the abduction of the victims, adding that two suspects have been arrested in connection with the matter.

“The command is already investigating the matter. Effort is also at an advanced stage to get the victims rescued. Two suspects already arrested,” he added.