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Kidnapping: Fear grips FMC, RUGIPO workers

By Tola Gbadamosi & Agboola Fesobi
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A pall of fear has descended on the staff of the  Federal Medical Centre, Owo and the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic over their safety following last week’s kidnap of four of them.

In spite of assurances given by the Ondo state Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu that such an  incident would not repeat itself, The Hope Metro learnt that many  members of staff of the two institutions commuting between Owo and Akure are still shell   shocked  to resume  after  the incident.

Already, the Police have increased vehicular patrol along major roads in the state,  with the  Police Public Relations Officer, Femi Joseph asking commuters not to be embarrassed with the massive presence of policemen on the highways.

Joseph declared “We need not  fear any longer, we can only appeal  to  everyone to cooperate with our men on the road as the number of check points are now increased. They are there  to do their  job of protecting of lives and property.

Some of the staff  of the institutions who spoke in confidence to our correspondents said they have been living in morbid fear since the incident occurred.

Some of the staff have abandoned their flashy cars for commercial vehicles to avoid any unpleasant  encounter or falling prey to kidnappers.

Those hard hit, The Hope learnt are    Medical Doctors who have become endangered species for kidnappers as a result of their high income.

Investigations by The Hope Metro showed that the late  Taiwo Akinyemi a bursary staff at the Polytechnic was brutally murdered due to a wrong   characterization by his abductors as a medical doctor.

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It was  due to  his mischaracterisation as a doctor that the abductors placed  a huge ransom  of N100 million on his head and their desperate inability to secure the money led to his brutal execution, it was  further learnt .

A cousin of the  deceased, Mr Sunday Adewumi, said the family had gathered N700,000 out of the N10million ransom  which the kidnappers initially asked for, but later  reduced to N1million which they dropped at an agreed spot at Amurin village.

According  to him, the kidnappers must have been infuriated when they did  not find the money along  the bush path where they dropped  it  or because they were suspicious that his two friends who accompanied him  to the ransom spot were policemen.

Adewumi said the  family was shocked to find the money along the bush path where it was dropped  the following  day  untouched  when the corpse of this brother had been found.

 The late Akinyemi whose elder brother died last year December was buried   yesterday amidst wailings by relations, friends and professional colleagues who described Taiwo as a pleasant person.

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