Nearly a month on from his abduction, Okasime Olowojoba—ward leader of the Labour Party in Akoko-Edo—is yet to taste freedom despite meeting his captors’ demands.
The April 26, 2025 kidnapping took place on the notorious Sasaro stretch of the Auchi–Igarra road, as Olowojoba returned from Auchi with his family.
What Happened?
- Date & Location: Abducted on 26 April 2025 near Sasaro, Edo State.
- Ransom Paid: Family raised ₦5.3 million initially; further demands for ₦30 million and ₦5 million followed before silence fell.
- Family’s Last Contact: Eight days without word after the final call; emotional distress has torn at Olowojoba’s wife and children.
Critical Analysis: Who’s to Blame?
Security Vacuum: The stretch where the incident occurred is infamous for abductions—yet successive governments have failed to install adequate patrols or surveillance. Youth leaders point to rotten roads and dark brush as catalysts for criminal hideouts.
Political Indifference: Despite Olowojoba’s role galvanising the Labour Party grassroots in Edo, the state apparatus appears inert. Repeated entreaties to the Edo State Government and security agencies have yielded no rescue operation.
Ransoms as Revenue Streams: By collecting ransom and vanishing, kidnappers signal impunity—emboldening further attacks on politicians and civilians alike.
Sensational Implications
Erosion of Trust: If political operatives cannot secure their own safety, public faith in electoral processes and governance will shatter.
Emboldened Criminals: Silence after payment reveals a calculated strategy, turning ransom into profit without consequence.
Labour Party’s Peril: As Igarra’s residents clamour for action, the incident risks fracturing the party’s local support base.
Urgent Calls to Action
State Government: Deploy helicopter surveillance and establish a temporary military detachment along the Auchi–Igarra corridor.
Nigeria Police Force: Launch a dedicated task force, ensuring daily updates to Olowojoba’s family.
Kidnappers: Release your captive—his wife, children and community demand his safe return.
- Report by Osaigbovo Okungbowa
