By: Hakeem Gbadamosi – Akure
The body of a 40-year-old cocoa farmer, Akinola Akinnibinu, who was abducted by suspected kidnappers in his farm at Oko Oparun in Ondo East Local Government Area of Ondo State has found in a farm after three days.
It was gathered that the kidnappers who invaded the farm, abducted him, and ordered him to call his wife, demanding for N700,000 as ransom to release the cocoa farmer.
The victim was said to have called his wife, asking her to withdraw the sum of N700, 000 from POS center and bring the cash to the farm.
It was further gathered that the suspects called the victim’s wife to send the money to a bank account, but the wife who was apprehensive about the situation of her husband was said to have reported the incident to Amotekun corps in the town who traced the victim to the farm.
After a search by the Amotekun corps ended in futile, the lifeless body of the farmer was however discovered some four days after with remains sprayed with chemical and covered with dried leaves.
According to his wife, “my husband left the house in the morning to his farm; he later called me to collect money from the POS near our house. I asked him what he wants to use the money for, he said I should bring it that he will tell me when I get to the farm.
“Later, some men used my husband’s number to call me to send the money to an Opay account, they called again that they did not see the money and I told them that I have sent it.
“They asked me to come to the farm, but I was scared and I alerted Amotekun and other villagers. As I was coming with people, they called and said since I have alerted people, that ‘I will see’.
“On getting to the place, I did not see them and we left, not until yesterday when villagers called that they saw dead body that was covered with bamboo leaves and there was chemical all over the body. It was my husband’s body”,
An eyewitness said the corpse was found on the fourth day when the breeze blew off the leaves and alerted the police.
The remains was said to have been retrieved by the police at Igba division and deposited at the General Hospital mortuary at Oko Oparun community.
The State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Funmi Odunlami, who confirmed the incident said investigation had commenced into the killing of the farmer.
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