NIGERIA: Chief Oluyemisi Falae's Ordeal In The Kidnappers Den

Four days after being kidnapped, the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Chief Oluyemisi Falae who was yesterday escorted back home by security operatives said he slept on the floor for four days and trekked several kilometers to get to the hideout of his abductors.

Falae said this while narrating his ordeal in the hands of his abductors to the state governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko who visited him after he was excorted  home by the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Solomon Arase at about 4.14pm in a black Police SUV, marked NPF 03-23.

The IGP rode in another Police SUV with number plate NPF 8713 C.

The former Minister who had a wound on his left elbow looked frail and spoke in hushed tones while telling the governor and his family members his experience. Falae confirmed that his abductors were the Fulani herdsmen  who invaded his farm on Monday.

According to him, after he was kidnapped he was made to trek  with the herdsmen from his farm located at Ilado in Akure North council area of the state to Owo, which is another council area in the state.

Falae told the governor that for the four days he was with the Fulani herdsmen he slept on bare ground and trekked several kilometers throughout the night to get to the hideout of the kidnappers.

According to him, when his family offered to pay N2 million, his abductors said: “Is it Boko Haram that your family wants to give N2 million?”

He said it was an experience that he would never forget in his entire lifetime.

Chief Olu Falae with Governor Segun Mimiko of Ondo State

Immediately he arrived his residence, his personal physician who was waiting  gave him medication.

According to reports, the Fulani herdsmen dropped Chief Falae in  front of Joyland Hotel in Owo and the security operatives later picked him up from there  to Akure.

It was gathered that the family and the security operatives had to appeal to the owner of the hotel to allow the politician have a change of clothes in their room.

His Personal Assistant, Captain Moshood Raji (retd),  took back the cloth he wore for four days in the kidnappers den to his residence in Akure.

The politician was accompanied to his Oba-Ile residence by the IGP, the  Commissioner of Police, CP Mike Ogbodu, after he was picked up in Owo where his abductors reportedly dropped him.

A family source later informed Vanguard that their father said that any time  he was exhausted,  the eight herdsmen, used to back him one after the other until they got to Owo.

In an interview after he accompanied Falae home, IGP Arase said: “The important thing now is that Baba Falae is back home safe and sound according to the mandate given to me by the President.

“President Muhammadu Buhari gave me a mandate and that is what I have done exactly,  rescuing Baba Falae and  bringing him back home safe and sound.’’

He vowed that the Police  will continue to battle insecurity frontally.

According to him; “We are going to diversify our strategy so that hoodlums will not overwhelm  the state.

‘’We will continue to degrade, catch and bring them to book.

He said that no ransom was paid and that nobody has been arrested.

Asked about where the victim was rescued, the IGP said it was a security matter and not meant for public consumption.

Speaking with newsmen after  meeting with Chief Falae, Ondo State governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko who arrived the residence at about 4.35pm thanked God that the politician is back safe and sound.

Mimiko said he was worried and prayed that Chief Falae should come back home safely.

He said that he was worried that the issue of kidnapping was taking a dangerous dimension in Nigeria, saying “we must tackle this in wider dimension that somebody of his pedigree was taken away while working on his farm.”

Dependable sources said that the family concluded the ransom agreement with the kidnappers on Wednesday and they were asked to pick him up in Lokoja, Kogi State.

But the kidnappers later called that  he would not be released until yesterday ostensibly to beat any security tab on them.

It was after they reportedly dropped him in Owo that they  told the family  to pick him up in front of the hotel.