Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted a farm owner along with his manager along the Akure Airport, Oba-Ile/Osi axis, in the Akure North Local Council Area of Ondo State.
The farm estate owner, identified as Olanrewaju Oyeleye, and his manager, whose identity was yet to be ascertained as of press time, were abducted over the weekend on their farmland situated between the Abasakin and Osi communities, a few kilometres from the airport.
Kidnapping incidents have surged in the axis in the last few weeks, with a health worker killed and his teenage son kidnapped while on his way home.
Oyeleye, 50, relocated from abroad to Akure, the state capital, about four years ago to invest in mechanised farming.
Confirming the incident, the Commander of Amotekun Corps in the state, Adetunji Adeleye, said operatives had been deployed to rescue the victims and apprehend the kidnappers.
He said: “Our men are working tirelessly to ensure the victims are rescued from the abductors, as we are tracking their location.”
Meanwhile, a family source revealed that the kidnappers have demanded a ₦100 million ransom for the victims’ release.
Following the latest incidents, coupled with incessant kidnappings in the area, residents of Akure North, particularly in the Oba-Ile, Osi, and Eleyewo axes, have been gripped with fear and tension.
With the news of the abduction of Oyeleye and his manager filtering into town, other farmers hurriedly abandoned their farmlands and rushed home.
One of the farmers, who identified himself as James Odor, lamented the frequent abduction of farmers in the area.
Odor, who condemned the lack of intervention by security agencies in the state, disclosed that the surge in the killing of farmers within the axis has made life unbearable for them and affected their productivity.
