The former Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Professor Olorunfemi Olaofe, who was kidnapped on July 9, has been found dead.
Sources, who could not confirm whether the 79-year-old retired university teacher died as a result of his age or if he was killed by the kidnappers, told our correspondence that the professor’s body was found buried in a shallow grave in the bush.
Olaofe was kidnapped from his house alongside his guard on July 9, over three weeks ago, and driven away in his car, which the police said they recovered days after the kidnap incident.
According to our correspondent, the kidnappers initially demanded N50 million ransom and thereafter remained incommunicado.
The Commissioner of Police, Ekiti State Command, Mr. Adeniran Akinwale, confirmed Olaofe’s death, stating: “Yes, the professor has been found dead and we are doing everything possible to exhume the body for burial.”
He added: “However, we have arrested many people and you know the circumstances surrounding the incident. We suspect that it was an insider’s job, and the security man employed by the professor may have been involved. They kidnapped him along with his guard to avoid suspicion. During the rescue operation, we have arrested some individuals. I cannot say much about the security guard at this time, but we will brief the public at a later stage.”
Meanwhile, during the search for Olaofe, members of the Are Ekiti Progressives Union; Ekiti Council of Elders; and Nigerian Universities Pensioners’ Association, EKSU Branch, urged security agencies and the state government to intensify efforts to rescue the elderly professor.
