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From Emmanuel Adeyemi, Lokoja
Odo ape community in kabba Bunu Local Government ,kogi State has been thrown into mourning as one of their community leader and a retired Army Major, Joseph Ajayi died at the kidnapers’ den even after the kidnapers had collected a ransom of #10 million from his family.
Major Ajayi ,who was a one time chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria, was kidnapped on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, from his residence around 11:30pm by gunmen who shot sporadically.
It was gathered that the initial demands of N50 million ransom by the abductors lingered for long when the family could not pay; this resulted in his health deteriorating, as he had no means to get his medication.
It was gathered that the kidnappers informed the family that their plea for his medication to be forwarded to him would come at an extra cost, a concession that couldn’t be met by the family.
However, it was learnt that as soon as the abductors discovered that Ajayi couldn’t survive, they reduced the ransom to ₦10 million .
A source in the community said that the Ajayi family, believing he was still alive, quickly agreed to pay N3 million for his rescue.
“Once the ransom was paid, the kidnappers directed the family to where they would find him, only for them to meet his (Ajayi’s) lifeless body.”
The retired army officer’s remains have been deposited at Kabba Specialist Hospital mortuary.
However, the governor of the state, Ahmed Usman Ododo, speaking at the Eid ground last Sallah in Okene, appealed to residents to remain calm, as efforts to rid the criminal elements out of the state are already in top gear.
Meanwhile,Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District,Sunday Karimi, has described the daily occurrence of kidnappings in his district as one too many, lamenting the gruesome death of 76 years old Major Joe Ajayi, who died in the hands of his abductors.
Sen. Karimi in a statement issued in Lokoja, while reacting to the death of Ajayi ,who died in the hands of his abductors, lamented that the whole of Kogi West was under siege in the hands of kidnappers and expressed concern that people of his district remain in their houses, but lamented that even at that, they were still being kidnapped in their homes.
Karimi described the story and rate of kidnapping in his Senatorial district, from Lokoja, Kakanda, Bunu axis, in Kiri area of Kabba Bunu LGA as worrisome, saying that till date the 92 years old traditional ruler of Okoloke, was still in the hands of his abductors.
The Senator said,” all over the places in Kogi West, my people now live in fear. Kidnapping is now a daily occurrence and we need collective actions by security agencies to free my people from fear and to live their lives normally .”
Karimi disclosed that plans were underway to organize the Christian Association of Nigeria and clerics under the Council of Ulaamau to do a three day fasting and prayer session that would help free the people from the activities of this miscreants, who are terrorizing the area
“ The time for us to go spiritual in fighting this miscreants and kidnappers ,who have refused our people to breath and live freely from the hands of the people is now. I am putting machinery in motion to help organize and hold this spiritual intervention, because we are no longer safe to live our lives”.
Karimi expressed sadness over the death of Ajayi, who he described as a perfect gentleman, with concern for the growth of Kogi West, lamenting his gruesome murder in the hands of the kidnappers and prayed for others ,who are still in captivity to regain their freedom.
He condoled with the family of the deceased and prayed that God would grant them the fortitude to bear the loss.
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Kidnapping has surged in the state for a while now, with the abduction of a first-class monarch, Oba James Dada Ogunyanda, the Oba Okoloke in Yagba West LG, who was in the same way abducted from his home in early May is yet to be released either.
