Olu Falae: Family Offers Kidnappers N2m as Ransom, OPC Launches Manhunt

Abductors of the former Minister of Finance, Chief Olu Falae, and the family have begun negotiations on the ransom demanded for the release of the septuagenarian who was kidnapped on his farm on Monday.

Thisday reported that, while the kidnappers reduced the ransom from N100 million to N90 million, the family said it was able to raise N2 million for his release.

But the abductors were said to have rejected the amount offered by the family.

A family source said the abductors called the family late on Monday night and insisted that the family should raise N90 million if they could not afford the N100 million demanded.

“At the time they called us on Monday night, they said they would only reduce the ransom to N90 million but we cannot afford that, so we begged them to accept N2 million and they rejected it.

“They said they would call us back today (Tuesday) but as at this moment, they have not called,” the source stated.

Shedding more light on the incident, the Personal Assistant to Falae, Mr. Moshood Raji, alleged that Fulani herdsmen were behind the kidnapping of his boss, adding that there had been incessant face-offs between the herdsmen and the Afenifere chieftain over the frequent invasion of his farm.
“The Fulani herdsmen always invade the farm and this has caused a lot of problems between them and baba.
“Some weeks ago, we arrested some of them and detained them at the state Police Command over the same matter but they were later granted bail.
“It got to a stage that the secretary of Fulani community told baba to erect a fence around his big farm so that his men would not encroach on it with their cattle.

“He also threatened baba to ensure that nothing happens to his people and their cows; he said if anything happened to his people, they would deal with baba,” he said.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Ondo State Command, Mr. Wole Ogodo, said the command was still making frantic efforts to ensure that the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) is released alive unhurt.

The abduction of the former SGF has been attracting reactions from various stakeholders, including the Ondo State House of Assembly which condemned his kidnapping.

The House, at a plenary presided over by the Speaker, Hon. Jumoke Akindele, also called on security agencies to as a matter of urgency bring to book those behind the dastardly act.

Akindele said the kidnapping of the National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) was uncalled for, having contributed immensely to the state and nation at large.

The speaker also called on the federal government to consider the 2014 National Conference report which recommended state policing as the solution to increasing cases of insecurity.

In the same vein, the state Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Isaac Kekemeke, yesterday called on the state government and the security agencies in the state to ensure that the abductors are brought to book.

Kekemeke, in a statement, called on the state government to “regulate the activities of these itinerant herdsmen, just as it regulates citizens’ use of public utilities. These lawless herdsmen, if they must live in Ondo State, cannot be law unto themselves”.

Similarly, the Ondo State Council of Obas has sued for calm on the incident.
The chairman of the council and Osemawe of Ondo, Oba Victor Adsesimbo Kiladejo, who made the appeal while speaking to journalists in Akure, the Ondo State capital, described the kidnapping as unfortunate.

He said it was not yet time to point accusing fingers on the kidnapping, but join hands with the government and security agencies in securing the release of the elder statesman.

Similarly, the founder of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Dr. Frederick Fasehun, has called for the immediate release of his birthday mate, Chief Falae.
Born on September 21 like Falae, a visibly agitated Fasehun, who became an octogenarian, said in Lagos yesterday that he had ordered OPC operatives to immediately launch a manhunt, combing all nooks and crannies of Ondo State and beyond for the kidnapped politician.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Fasehun described the kidnapping as an assault and insult on the Yoruba people, and challenged security operatives and agencies to produce Falae within 48 hours.
The OPC founder immediately summoned all members in the country to attend an emergency meeting on Sunday.

“OPC is not interested in a crisis but it was founded primarily for the protection of its own and for building bridges in Nigeria,” he said.

“All lovers of Nigerian unity like OPC, communal peace and national progress must rise up to this challenge,” he added.

Warning of possible consequences, Fasehun pointed out that eyewitnesses indicated that Falae had been taken by strangers, just like the wife of The Sun Newspapers’ Executive Director, Mrs. Toyin Nwosu, abducted last week in Lagos.

In its reaction, the spokesperson of Pro National Conference Organisation (PRONACO), Mr. Olawale Okunniyi, also condemned the abduction of Falae in strong terms, describing it as a mindless and crisis-provoking acts by the kidnappers.

Speaking at Ikenne yesterday, where he went to commiserate with the Awolowos on the demise of Mrs. HID Awolowo, Okunniyi, a close associate of the abducted elder statesman, slammed the kidnappers for embarking on a reckless and senseless mission capable of igniting inter ethnic crisis in the country.

“Chief Olu Falae is too important to Nigeria and the Yoruba people for any group of people to imagine such act against him. First he has served Nigeria in various capacities especially as number three man as the Secretary to the Federal Government, and Finance Minister, after which he was popularly chosen as a presidential candidate in 1999 receiving votes from all over the country and bloc vote from the Yoruba people.

“Apart from being the leader of the Yoruba delegation to the last National Conference held in 2014, Chief Falae is a long standing traditional leader in Akure – the Olu of Abo town — to cap it all, one of the frontline leaders of the Peoples National Conference organised by PRONACO and a foremost political leader of thought in the country, who have served the Nigerian people with all his heart and resources. So this act is unimaginable to say the least,” Okunniyi lamented.

He warned the abductors to release Falae without delay to prevent a possible breakdown of peace in Yorubaland, adding that the Yoruba people may not fold their arms while one of their most respected leaders is molested and taken captive in their territory.

 

Posted by Janice Johnson