By James Sowole
Criminals suspected to be herdsmen have reportedly killed a member of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Adejuyigbe Daniel in Iju, Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The killed OPC member, was one of the people, mobilised to search for a farm owner Mr Solomon Akinmeji, who was abducted on Saturday on his farm located at Atoka area of the town.
Akinmeji was said to have been abducted on his farm while other people with him escaped.
The farm was located at the border area between Ondo and Ekiti states.
It was gathered that youths of the town mobilised themselves with some members of the OPC and launched a search party on Sunday.
However, when the efforts of the youths did not yield the desired results, a report was made at the Iju Police Division.
He said: “When our efforts did nit yield the desired results, we reported the matter on Monday at the Iju Police Division.
“The report led to the mobilisation of police and members of the South west security networks, popularly known as Amotekun security corps to join the search party.
“The two security outfits joined the search team and headed into the forest to rescue the abducted farmer only to be engaged in a gun duel by the herders before they could repel the attack.”
He said the late Adejuyigbe Daniel, was discovered to have been missing when the role call was made after the operation and he could not be found.
“After the whole exercise all search party members assembled but the late Daniel was not present, the development made us intensify more efforts to look for him.
“After much search, Daniel dead body was later found at a place where the local tent allegedly erected by the herders were located with his legs and hands tied and eyes blindfolded.
“Daniel fell out of his search group by moving afar to locate the missing farm owner before he was reportedly abducted and shot dead by the herders”, he said.
The source said the farm owner, Segun Akinmeji was still at the kidnapper’s den while the remains of the late Adejuyigbe Daniel has been deposited at the morgue of the General Hospital in the town.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the State, Mr Tee Leo Ikoro who confirmed the incident to in a telephone interview said investigation had commenced in earnest to unravel the killing and the abduction of the late Adejuyigbe Daniel.
However, Ikoro said nobody could identify who killed the late OPC man or a hat tribe or ethnic group he belongs.
“What I can say now was that a farm owner was abducted and a member of the search team was killed.
The PPRO further said that the Commissioner of Police in the State has ordered a manhunt for the killer and also search for the farm owner.
