The Ondo State Police Command has confirmed the abduction of a prominent All Progressives Congress figure, Owoloemi Emorioloye, in Ilaje Local Government Area, sparking anxiety in the coastal community.
Police Public Relations Officer, Abayomi Jimoh, told The PUNCH on Sunday that details surrounding the incident were still emerging but assured that detectives had swung into action.
“Information available is still sketchy, but a full scale investigation has begun,” he said. “We urge residents to stay calm.
The command has deployed necessary measures to safeguard lives and property across the state.”
The development followed a public alarm raised by the Chairman of Ilaje Local Government, Maurice Oripenaye, who disclosed that Emorioloye, a grassroots media mobiliser popularly known as Emotel, was taken by armed men who stormed his office in Igbokoda on Thursday morning.
According to a statement issued by the council boss, the attackers arrived in two Hilux vehicles around 9 am, seized the APC stalwart and whisked him away to an unknown destination.
Oripenaye said efforts to trace his location had so far yielded no results.
He described the abduction as a reckless assault on the peace of the area and called for immediate action from security agencies.
“The brazen kidnapping of Prince Emorioloye Owoloemi, a respected community figure and Director General of the Asiwaju Media Team, is deeply troubling,” he said. “This criminal act carried out in broad daylight in a bustling commercial centre is intolerable.”
While urging residents to remain calm and avoid spreading rumours that could inflame tension, Oripenaye said the local authority had contacted relevant security formations, including the police, DSS, Army, and community networks, to ensure an urgent and coordinated response.
He assured that restoring security and securing Emorioloye’s release remained top priority. “We stand firmly with his family, friends, and associates at this difficult moment,” he added.