BY REBECCA AJANI
THE wife of Olugbenga Ale, Chief of Staff to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, has been kidnapped by unknown gunmen.
The development is coming on the heels of the murder of a first class monarch, Olufon of Ifon, Oba Israel Adewusi on Thursday.
Mrs Ale was reportedly kidnapped along with two people, including her driver, at Owen in the Idanre Local Government Area of the state the same Thursday night.
Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Tee-Leo Ikoro, confirmed the incident.
The Governor had earlier described the killing of Oba Adewusi as a heinous crime, which confirmed that the country was in a serious security crisis “beyond the ordinary.”
Ifon, the headquarters of the Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State, had been thrown into mourning on Thursday following the murder of Oba Adewusi by suspected kidnappers.
A statement by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Donald Ojogo, confirmed the sad incident, saying, “With a heavy heart, the Ondo State Government hereby confirms the unfortunate incident around Elegbeka, Owo-Ifon road in Ondo State to be true. Truly, Ondo has lost a great one – a deep cut, too sad.
“This is a heinous crime, an incident which has, again, confirmed that we are, indeed, in a serious security crisis beyond the ordinary.
“Already, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), has visited the affected area in company of the chief of staff, Olugbenga Ale; Head of Service, Dare Aragbaiye; Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Dotun Owanikin; and his Information counterpart, Donald Ojogo.”
The statement said, “All lives matter; but this is one too heavy and unbearable. It’s a sad day in Ondo State. Clearly, we are in a serious security crisis that requires extraordinary means.
“The security agencies, especially the Nigeria Police, have already been directed to fish out the perpetrators of this heinous crime. On our part as a Government, we shall give whatever it takes to unravel this; these criminals who have brought this sad day on our State shall not go unpunished.”
