A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Ibadan South West Local Government Area of Oyo State, Hon. Wale Oriade, has been taken away by armed men while leaving his office on Wednesday evening.
Oriade was said to have closed for the day and was heading out of his office around the Akala Expressway axis of the state capital when three gunmen attacked him around 7pm. Witnesses said he was forced into a blue Micra car and driven away in an unknown direction.
An Instagram user, Taoreed Sanusi, who first raised the alarm, explained that the attackers seized the politician suddenly and took his phone before speeding off.
He wrote that “the assailants fled the scene in an unknown direction, and his phone was taken. His safety remains our utmost priority.”
The incident has triggered concern among political figures in the state. A former Senate Leader and the 2023 APC governorship candidate in the state, Senator Teslim Folarin, voiced his distress over the abduction.
He said, “I am deeply troubled by the kidnapping of Hon. Wale Oriade. This incident is unacceptable and a painful reminder of the growing insecurity confronting our dear nation.”
Folarin urged security agencies to move swiftly and deploy all needed resources to bring Oriade back home. He appealed for calm among party members and residents while assuring that security operatives are already working on the case.
“Oyo State must not be surrendered to criminals. We must strengthen our security architecture, improve intelligence sharing, and protect every citizen. May Almighty Allah safeguard Hon. Oriade and return him home safely,” he said.
