…..was subjected to beatings, gruesome tortures for seven days in captivity
By Wole Adedeji, Ilorin
Engineer David Ayodele Alabi who was kidnapped long with six others nine days ago at Eleyin, Omu Aran in Kwara State is dead.
Alabi died shortly after his release from the jungle where they were kept for days and subjected to gruesome tortures after his friends and relations paid a ransome of N4.5million.
The Engineer who retired from the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) reportedly trekked not less than eleven kilometers to the main road at Oko near Omu Aran where he because totally exhausted and fell on the ground.
He was, however, helped on a commercial motorcycle supported by his two other abductees to Omu Aran where his relations, waiting for him hurriedly rushed him to Osi, his hometown and later to a hospital in Ilorin, the state capital where he died shortly on arrival.
His close associates told this reporter that late Engineer Alabi who was diabetic could not access his drugs in captivity and was still subjected to beatings and gruesome tortures to the extent of removing some nails on his toes to make him tell his Relations to bring N30 million ransom earlier requested.
The other two persons kidnapped said to be from Offa paid N2milliom ransom each to secure their freedom, according to sources.
This reporter was told that somebody in Odo Owa, a nearby community whose name was kept secret acted as a go-between and was the one who took the money to the kidnappers to secure the release of the three abductees, including the deceased.
It would be recalled that late Engineer Alabi along six others in a Toyota Sienna was returning two Saturdays ago were returning from a funeral ceremony before they ran into the kidnappers at Eleyin, a suburb of Omu Aran.
Four of them, including his elder brother in particular, escaped the same day. He was said to become exhausted after walking several kilometers in the bush and fell down. Presumed to have died, the kidnappers abandoned him while three others also escaped when it became dark.
Meanwhile, family sources said the remains of the deceased would be buried at his residence in Ilorin, the State capital on August 24.