Gunmen kidnap Kogi monarch, wife

 Gunmen on Monday kidnapped the Oba of Idofin and his wife in Yagba East Local Government Area of Kogi.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that the traditional ruler, Shedrack Durojaye Obibeni, and his wife were said to be kidnapped along Makutu-Idofin road at about 5 p.m.

Mr Abdulrasak Asiru, Yagba East Local Government Council Chairman, who confirmed the incident to NAN, described it as “very shocking” and “sad”.

Asiru said he was still in shock over the incident, which had not happened in the area for almost two years.

“I, as the council chairman and the people of Yagba East are in great shock over the kidnap of our respected Oba and his wife this evening.

“This is because we in this LGA have a very robust security architecture keeping vigil and warding off criminal elements away from us.

“This incident was well planned by the kidnappers because from what I learnt, the Oba and his wife only moved out to see something and in less than 10 minutes that incident happened.

“We smell a rat over this sad incident and we are not resting until we get to the criminal elements who did this dastardly act and rescue our traditional ruler and his wife,” he said.

The council boss said that alerts and messages had been sent to all the traditional rulers and community leaders in Okun land to be vigilant and conduct a thorough search for the rescue of the couple.

Asiru said, “As we speak, our hunters and vigilante group are already out into the bushes searching for the criminals so as to rescue our Oba and his wife as soon as possible.”

However, the Kogi Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Williams Ovye-Aya, said he was yet to be briefed by the DPO of the affected area on the incident.