The abductors of the former Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Victor Olabimtan, who was kidnapped late in the evening on Sunday on his way to Abuja for a meeting, have demanded a ransom of N20 million from his family.
The abductors of the former Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Victor Olabimtan, who was kidnapped late in the evening on Sunday on his way to Abuja for a meeting, have demanded a ransom of N20 million from his family.
Mr. Olabimtan, a leading aspirant in the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the Ondo State governorship election was a former Federal Commissioner in the Civil Service Commission representing Ondo, Ekiti, and Edo States.
His media assistant, Zadok Emmanuel, confirmed to a SaharaReporters correspondent in Akure, the Ondo State capital, that the abductors had established contact with Mr. Olabimtan’s family.
Mr. Olabimtan’s abduction comes barely 48 hours after he declared his interest to contest the 2016 governorship election in Ondo State.
Mr. Emmanuel, who spoke over the phone with SaharaReporters, said the contact was made through a member of the campaign committee of the Victor Olabimtan Initiative for Change and Emancipation (Voice2016).
“I guess that was the last contact Mr. Olabimtan dialed on his phone, thereby making it easy to contact other family members for the N20 million ransom,” he said.
He disclosed further that the former Speaker was kidnapped along Kwale road, near Gwagwalada, a town close to the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja, in the company of his driver and another personal assistant.
The abductors were dressed in stolen military uniforms, which allowed them to approach Mr. Olabimtan’s vehicle with ease.
"The fake soldiers stopped Mr. Olabimtan's vehicle, pretending to search it and immediately abducted him in the presence of his driver and personal assistant.
"Although, they [the abductors] set free the two aides they stole their phones as they drove away, with Mr. Olabimtan, speedily through the bush," Mr. Emmanuel added.
Police sources in Ondo State said they are working with the force headquarters in Abuja to ensure the safe release of the ex-Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly.