Gunmen Kidnap Traditional Ruler, Kill Son in Kogi

Some unidentified gunmen on Tuesday night kidnapped the traditional ruler of Jakura town in Lokoja, Kogi State,

Chief Usman Ajibola, and killed his son, Rufai Ajibola

THISDAY gathered that the gun men were about five in number during the attack, which occurred at about 7p.m, at the Imoo and Igbonla communities, about 15 kilometers to Jakura town, in Lokoja.

Our correspondent gathered that the traditional ruler and his driver, Mr. Raphael Ilaja were whisked away, while his son was killed on the spot as he struggled to rescue his father.

Meanwhile, the people of Jakura community have condemned the kidnapping of their traditional ruler and the killing of the son.

A community leader, Mr. Julius Adeyemi, who spoke to THISDAY, said the community was in shock as a result of the incident.

He stressed that the community was doing everything humanly possible to rescue the traditional ruler by reporting to the law enforcement agents in the state.

He appealed to the state government to put in place a strong measure that would lead to the arrest of the gunmen and free the traditional ruler alive.

Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations (PPRO) of the Kogi State Police Command, Mr. William Ayah, said the command was already on the top of the situation, adding that the corpse of the prince had been deposited in one of the hospitals in Lokoja.