The Ilaje Local Government Council in Ondo State has condemned the abduction of Prince Emorioloye Owoloemi, the state Director-General of the Asiwaju Media Team, describing it as a brazen attack on public safety and communal peace.
Owoloemi, a prominent All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart, was reportedly kidnapped around 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 15, along the busy Okonga/Olodo Junction in Igbokoda.
Eyewitnesses said armed assailants arrived in two Hilux vehicles, stormed Owoloemi’s office, and forcefully whisked him away to an unknown destination. His whereabouts remained unknown as of the time of filing this report.
Reacting to the incident, the Executive Chairman of Ilaje Local Government Area, Maurice Oripenaye, said the council received the news with shock and deep concern, stressing that the abduction represented a flagrant violation of public safety.
“This act of criminality, carried out in broad daylight in a bustling commercial area, is utterly condemnable and unacceptable,” Oripenaye said.
He expressed solidarity with Owoloemi’s family, friends, and associates, assuring them that urgent steps were being taken to secure his release.
Oripenaye disclosed that the council had engaged security agencies including the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services, the Nigerian Army, and local security networks to ensure a coordinated response.
He urged security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue the victim, apprehend the perpetrators, and strengthen patrols and intelligence gathering across Ilaje Local Government.
The chairman also called on community leaders, youth groups, and traditional rulers to cooperate with security operatives by providing useful information.
Meanwhile, the Ondo State Police Command confirmed that investigations had commenced. The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Jimoh Abayomi, said security agencies were fully mobilised despite details of the incident still being sketchy.
Fidelis David
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