Two weeks after his kidnap, a Kogi State cashew farmer, Chief David Obadofin, has died in the forest.
The victim, who is from Aghara in Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State, was abducted at gun point last Easter Monday by some bandits and died on Thursday, according to a family source.
Meanwhile, a woman, Temidayo Elewa,who was also kidnapped with him, was said to have been released.
The woman regained her freedI’m when she was released at Obajana in Lokoja Local Government Area, where she was reportedly picked up on Saturday morning by some members of their family.
The source, who preferred anonymity for security reasons, said the kidnappers reduced the ransom to N2 million and started mounting pressure on the family to quickly pay up when they noticed that Chief Obadofin was becoming too weak.
The source said Temidayo was blindfolded and separated from Chief Obadofin, adding that the farmer unfortunately died before the ransom could be delivered.
According to the source: “The kidnappers set Temidayo free on Thursday as the security men consisting local hunters, vigilantes and some Fulani volunteers were closing in on them.
“Temidayo roamed the bush alone from Thursday to Friday before she met a sawing machine operator, who eventually led her to freedom.
“The security team saw the lady and took her to hospital. They picked her up in a village behind Obajana. As for Baba, we know he is dead but we are still combing the jungle for his remains.”
It would be recalled that Obadofin and Temidayo were abducted on Easter Monday from his farm residence in Aghara around 11.00pm.
While whisking the victims away, the gunmen reportedly shot Madam Toyin Onare, a widow who was working on the farm as a labourer but she was confirmed dead at the hospital in Kabba, where she was rushed to for treatment.
The kidnappers reportedly reached out to the family following day and to demand N60m ransom.
While in captivity, the late Obadofin was quoted to have inform the family on phone that their abductors fed them with roasted yam.
