Suspected gunmen terrorising Ilu-Abo community in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State have again launched a violent attack, abducting a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Joseph Kayode Aladesuyi, and two others.
Aladesuyi, who is also the Secretary of Okeluju Local Council Development Area (LCDA) from Irun Akoko, was abducted on Monday on his farm located at the Kajola settlement in Ilu-Abo community.
The farm is about five kilometres from the Akure Airport at Eleyewo community in Oba-Ile, Akure North LGA.
The Nation gathered that the assailants who stormed the farm, waylaid Aladesuyi and his grandaughter, before shooting sporadically and marching the victims into a nearby forest.
However, the gunmen were said to have left behind the young girl and moved Aladesuyi into the bush.
Sources said Aladesuyi, a grassroots politician and chief executive officer of JOTINA Farms, appeared to be the main target of the gunmen.
One of the sources, who pleaded anonymity, said: “Another kidnapping occurred at Ilu-Abo in Akure today. Three victims include Mr Joseph Kayode Aladesuyi, an Irun-Akoko born, Akure-based politician and agro-investor, CEO of JOTINA Farms.
“We believe Joseph was the target of the kidnappers because the gunmen shot in his direction and one of the bullets hit a family member on the farm. Kindly join us in praying for their immediate release from captivity.”
The incident reportedly caused panic among the residents of the community following the sporadic gunshots by the attackers.
It was learnt that many parents hurriedly rushed to schools to pick up their children amid fears generated by the heavy gunfire.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Jimoh Abayomi, said officers had been deployed to the scene.
He assured that the command had swung into action and promised to provide further details.
The latest incident came barely two days after Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa said many of the reported insecurity challenges in the state were “isolated cases.”
“Those cases you mentioned, as I said, are isolated cases. These are not bandit attacks as it were, because when a bandit comes in, they destroy, they kill for no cause,” he said during a media parley with some selected journalists in Akure.