From Emmanuel Adeyemi, Lokoja
The Odo-Ape community in Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State has been thrown into mourning following the death of a prominent community leader and retired Army Major, Joseph Ajayi, as a hostage, despite his family paying a ₦10 million ransom to his abductors.
Major Ajayi, a former Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kabba-Bunu Chapter, was kidnapped from his residence on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, around 11:30 pm by gunmen who fired sporadically.
It was gathered that the kidnappers’ initial demand of ₦50 million lingered for weeks as the family struggled to raise the funds, leading to a deterioration in Ajayi’s health due to a lack of access to his medication.
The kidnappers reportedly informed the family that delivering his medication would incur an additional cost, which the family could not afford.
However, when the abductors realised Ajayi’s condition was critical, they reduced the ransom to ₦10 million.
A community source said the Ajayi family, believing he was still alive, quickly paid the ₦10 million for his release.
“Once the ransom was paid, the kidnappers directed the family to where they would find him, only for them to meet his lifeless body,” the source revealed.
The retired Army officer’s remains have been deposited at the Kabba Specialist Hospital mortuary.
Kidnapping has surged in Kogi State recently, with the abduction of a first-class monarch, Oba James Dada Ogunyanda, the Oba Okoloke in Yagba West Local Government Area, who was similarly abducted from his home in early May and remains unreleased.
However, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, speaking at the Eid ground during Sallah in Okene, appealed to residents to remain calm, assuring them that efforts to eliminate criminal elements in the state are yielding positive results.