Militants, again, kidnap Ondo govt officials, others

Yinka Oladoyinbo, Akure - 22.08.2008

MILITANTS under the name“Guama Boys” on Thursday kidnapped seven persons including the Chairman of Ondo State Oil Producing Area Development (OSOPADEC), Chief Adewale Omomjuwa, five of his commissioners and the Director of Finance and Administration of the commission, Mr. Gbenga Ale.

The development came barely 20 days after 11 chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state were kidnapped by militants.

The chieftains were on their way to Awoye for a stakeholders forum organised by the commission for all the communities in the areas when the Guama Boys ambushed and abducted them.

The state government described the development in the oil rich communities as criminal, reprehensible and unacceptable.
The Information, Orientation and Mobilisation Commissioner, Chief Eddy Olafeso, said the youth should embrace dialogue if there were issues they wanted discussed.

The police in the state, speaking through its Public Relations Officer, Adeniran Aremu, said it was yet to be briefed by its officers in Igbokoda.

The commissioners that were kidnapped by the militants were Kukute Adewale, Raphael Nomiye, Temidire Olowoparija, Timothy Akinbode and Abass Fagbemi.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that the militants, ambushed the management team of the commission on the high sea in 16 speed boats after shooting sporadically to create tension in the area.

The security men attached to the chairman and his commissioners were disarmed and their rifles taken away by the militants.