Former presidential candidate, former secretary to the government of the federation and former minister of finance, Chief Olu Falae, was reported kidnapped on Monday.
The Afenifere chieftain and SDP (Social Democratic Party) national chairman was forcibly abducted from his farm in Ilado and his captors are demanding N100m as a pre-condition for setting him free.
But the Ondo police command has said it wasn’t a kidnap case but an attack by peripatetic cattle grazers.
Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Wole Ogodo, said in Akure that Falae was attacked.
He said that contrary to earlier reports, “It wasn’t a case of kidnap but an attack by Fulani herdsmen.”
The police spokesman said Falae was taken away while some of his workers were seriously wounded.
Ogodo said no fewer than 50 policemen had been deployed to the area to look for and rescue the politician.
Vanguard reports that Falae was kidnapped by over 20 Fulani herdsmen who invaded his farm, attacking his over 200 workers.
Many of his workers, including the farm manager simply identified as Bruno were lacerated with machetes, while others were reportedly wounded and are on admission in different hospitals.
Reports from the family said that the herdsmen have been having issues with the workers in the farm over the grazing and destruction of the farmland by their cattle.
The herdsmen reportedly came back yesterday in large numbers and attacked the farm before abducting the politician.
Vanguard was told that on arrival, the herdmen shot into the air, a situation which made the workers to flee.
They reportedly beat up Chief Falae and dragged him on the floor when he refused to go with his abductors.
Police sources however said that the herdsmen may have been used by other interested parties who have requested for a ransom.
The herdsmen, according to a police source may have been paid off and the victim handed over to those who made contact with the family after carrying out the hatchet job.
Spokesman of SDP in the state, Remi Olayiwola said the abductors have contacted the wife of the victim, Mrs Rachel Falae and requested for N100m ransom expected to be paid between yesterday and today.
Olayiwola said that the accent of those who contacted the wife of their National chairman was that of a Fulani.
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