Olugbenga Owolabi, a 55-yr-old Nigerian-American, left Nigeria for Canada in his 20s and later moved to the US.
After about 30yrs in the US, he set up businesses in Nigeria and planned to return ‘home’.
7 months after opening his hotel in Ogbomoso, he was kidnapped and killed
Six years after leaving FGC Ogbomoso in 1983, Owolabi packed his bags and left for Canada on the invite of Rev Wagaman, an American who came to Lagos to preach at a crusade organised by Owolabi’s father.
After a brief time in Canada, Owolabi moved to the US where he met his spouse, raised a family, lived for about three decades and became a citizen before considering moving back to Nigeria.
As Owolabi grew older, “he had planned that in the next 10 years, he would end up in Nigeria and also encouraged his children to come to Nigeria,” his brother said.
To prepare for his coming, he invested in hospitality with Tana Suites in Abaa, Ogbomoso, which he started building 6 years ago and officially opened in December 2021.
He also invested in agribusiness with 190 acres of farmland in Ogbin and Ijesa, near Otte, in Kwara State.
Owolabi started shuttling between Nigeria and US.
During his last visit, on Thursday, July 28, 2022, while business activities were gradually winding down, 2 gunmen invaded Tana Suites, held the staff hostage and whisked Owolabi away with one of his employees – Rachael Opadele.
His family in the US may have been numb with shock over his abduction, but to Nigerians, cases of kidnappings are not new.
The Nigeria Security Tracker, a project of @cfr_org says 1,484 people were abducted in Nigeria between January and March 2022.
10 days before Owolabi’s abduction, two people had been kidnapped and freed in Gbede and Jabata, in the same Surulere LGA of Oyo state, after paying millions of Naira in ransom.
July 16, 2022: Christopher Bakare, Akala’s farm Supervisor was abducted in Jabata and released on July20 after paying ₦5m.
July22: Dr Rasheed Oladoye of Titilayo Hospital was abducted in Gbede and released on July 26 after paying a ransom.
July28: Owolabi & Rachael were abducted
Community members believe the same syndicate masterminded the three abductions in Gbede, Jabata, and Abaa, all in Surulere LGA of Oyo State, under 14 days.
The bandits insisted on ₦50m as ransom before releasing Owolabi and Rachael.
After days of negotiation, the family sent ₦5m to them on August 2, 2022, but Owolabi, Rachael and the motorcycle rider, Idowu Ajagbe, who took the ransom bearer to the bandits were all killed.
Employees at Tana Suites identified the bandits who kidnapped Owolabi & Rachael as the men who had been at the hotel in the afternoon in the guise of enquiring about lodging.
When they asked for some bottles of drinks after their enquiry, it was Rachael who attended to them.
Credit: Michael Orodare
