Meanwhile, in Ogun State, fear and outrage have gripped residents following the abduction of popular businessman Prince Bankole Adepegba, also known as Ade Bendel, from his hometown of Ilara in Imeko-Afon Local Government Area.
The gunmen, numbering about a dozen, stormed the community around 11:00 pm on Wednesday, April 30, shooting sporadically and killing two residents in the process before whisking Adepegba away. He was reportedly taken across the border into the Republic of Benin.
Sources familiar with the case said the abductors demanded 100 million CFA francs, equivalent to approximately N300 million, as ransom. The businessman was released to his family in the early hours of Saturday, May 3, after the payment was made.
He is currently receiving medical treatment at BOHCON Hospital in the Republic of Benin. His vehicle, a Toyota Corolla, was recovered and is presently being held at the Sabe Police Station in Benin.
Though the Ogun State Police Command has yet to release an official statement, local sources confirmed that efforts are ongoing to track the perpetrators, believed to be part of a trans-border kidnapping syndicate.
