Abductors release UI professor 3 days after kidnapped on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

The Nigeria Police Force, Oyo State Command, on Monday confirmed the release of Prof. Adigun Agbaje, a former Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University of Ibadan, from the dens of his abductors.

Its Public Relations Officer, SP. Adewale Osifeso, made this known to newsmen in Ibadan.

Agbaje, along with other travellers, including two female students of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, were on Friday night kidnapped by gunmen in military uniform around Dominica University, on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

According to Osifeso, Agbaje is currently undergoing debriefing, saying an update will be provided on the matter.

He, however, did not give details about the release of other kidnapped travellers.

According to reports, two students of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, identified as Olayemi Adejare and Oluwatobi Orekoya and Agbaje were picked up on Sunday night at a location near Sat Guru Maharaji area on Ibadan-Lagos Expressway.

The abductors had earlier contacted Agbaje’s family for a ransom of N50 million for his release, while they demanded N10 million each for the release of the two students. 

Meanwhile, Dr Adebola Agbaje, wife of Prof. Adigun Agbaje, the kidnapped University of Ibadan (UI) don, had said her husband was caught in the incident around 7.00 p.m., when returning to Ibadan from Ago Iwoye, where he had chaired an endowment by the Awujale of Ijebu.

“I wouldn’t think he was targeted, I think it was a mishap because he was not the only one captured that day.

“There was a bus and some cars, all the people there were apprehended and taken to their hideout.

“And they are demanding a huge sum of money; what they are demanding for, the gratuity I am expecting for 35 years’ work for the government is not even up to half of their demand,” she said.