The abducted Regent of Akungba-Akoko in Akoko South
West Local Government Area of Ondo State, Princess Toyin Omosowon, last week
regained her freedom. It was learnt that her rescue followed the intervention
of a combined team of soldiers and officers of the Department of State Security
(DSS), who invaded the kidnappers’ den. Also freed were a senior official of
the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) and the driver of the
Regent, who were both abducted with her.
The regent, who was driven to the Government House,
Alagbaka, Akure, by security personnel, had a brief meeting with Governor
Olusegun Mimiko before she moved to Akungba-Akoko.
Two of the suspected kidnappers David Ekpen (52) and
Lucky Smart (35) were also seen at the Government House.
A third suspect died during the gun battle with
security personnel. Ekpen said he was a driver whose vehicle was hijacked by
some culprits, who he later discovered were kidnappers. Mimiko said the
princess had gone through a terrible experience, stressing that the regent’s
abduction was an unfortunate incident in the state’s history. The governor
hailed security agencies for rescuing her. He said the kidnappers would be
punished in line with the existing laws of the state.
He said the state frowns at kidnapping and other
crimes. Narrating her ordeal, Princess Omosowon said she was driven to a forest
in Ifon, headquarters of Ose Local Government Area. She said she was forced to
sleep in a cocoa plantation for days while she refused the foods given to her.
Her words: “When I got to the forest where they drove
me to, I was told by the kidnappers that they had been paid to kill me. They
told me that I prevented the people of Akungba-Akoko from having a substantive
traditional ruler.
“I told them I was made regent a few years ago and I
was not the one preventing the community from having a monarch, but they
insisted that I would be killed,” she added. Princess Omosowon recalled that
the kidnappers demanded for N200 million after days of pleading with them.
She said: “They told me that N200 million is the price
for my life and when I complained that my people cannot get the money they told
me to tell them to tell Governor Mimiko.”
The regent said she was tortured and denied good food,
adding that she had developed ulcer.
The Army, in a statement by the Assistant Director,
Army Public Relations, Capt O.I Adenegan, said soldiers of the 32 Artillery
Brigade, Akure, led the rescue operations. The statement reads: “The successful
rescue operation of the Regent of was led by the soldiers of 32 Artillery
Brigade, Akure.
“The joint operation was conducted with officials of
the Department of State Security Service (DSS) from Ondo and Edo states. “The
kidnapped victims were rescued in Ose Local Government, behind Ose Market.
Other victims are the regent’s driver, Aliyu Abdulwalil, CSO Opute Sunday, a
corps member, Miss Ijeoma Azubuike and an Indian, Mr Alex, who was kidnapped in
Port Harcourt.
“During the operation, one of the suspects was killed
and two of the other suspects Mr David and Lucky were arrested. “This should
serve as a warning to all criminals in the state, that the Brigade has zero
tolerance to crime and always ready to secure lives and properties in the
state.”
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