19th May, 2025
Residents of Ose Local Government Area in Ondo State have been thrown into mourning following the tragic murder of Mr. Nelson Adepoyigi, the Ward 5 Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), by suspected kidnappers who had held him captive for days.
Adepoyigi was abducted on Monday while attempting to access his farm along the Ifon-Owo road in Ifon, the council headquarters. His captors initially demanded a ransom of N100 million. His family reportedly raised N5 million and sent two people to deliver the money, but the kidnappers detained them as well and issued a new demand of N30 million.
The situation took a heartbreaking turn on Friday when the gunmen reportedly shot Adepoyigi dead and released the two men who brought the initial ransom.
Confirming the incident, the Chairman of Ose Local Government, Mr. Clement Ojo, described the killing as painful and shocking.
“It is deeply saddening and utterly painful that the life of Mr. Nelson Adepoyigi was brutally cut short by his captors,” Ojo said. “He was a committed party man and his efforts towards grassroots development will be remembered.”
Ojo also raised concerns over the worsening insecurity in the area, noting that just days before Adepoyigi’s murder, another abduction attempt was made in the same locality.
“We are now at a critical juncture where security challenges have become a serious threat to the safety and freedom of our people,” he warned.
Efforts to get a response from the Ondo State Police Command were unsuccessful, as the spokesperson, Mr. Olayinka Ayanlade, could not be reached at the time of filing this report.
The killing has sparked fresh concerns about rising cases of kidnapping and insecurity in rural communities across Ondo State.
