Kidnappers Kill Kogi Councillor in Captivity

Suspected kidnappers have killed Rosemary Adukwu, a councillor for Ogugu Ward III in Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State. This happened days after they abducted her while she was on her way to Onitsha, Anambra State, to buy goods for her business.

Ms Adukwu was taken on 30 September. The commercial vehicle she was in got ambushed around Oji River, close to the border between Enugu and Anambra states.

The kidnappers reportedly pulled her out of the vehicle and took her to a hidden spot in a forest. They left the other passengers unharmed.

The Chairman of Olamaboro Local Government Area, Ameh Williams, shared the sad news of her death in a statement on Friday.

“It is with deep sorrow that we announce the sudden demise of our dear sister and colleague, Hon. Mrs. Rosemary Adukwu, the honourable councillor representing the good people of Ogugu Ward III in the eighth Olamaboro Legislative Council,” the statement read.

Mr Williams said she died on Thursday while still in captivity.

The family of the deceased is worried about how she was taken and killed. They say the kidnappers picked her out from the other passengers and did not ask for ransom before they reported her death.

A family source told Daily Trust that Ms Adukwu usually travelled with the same driver to Onitsha to restock her business.

According to the source, she left for the market on 30 September after confirming with the driver that trading would happen the next day.

“At the border community between Enugu and Anambra states, around Oji River, their vehicle ran into a barricade set up by some people. After that, the hoodlums dragged only her out of the vehicle and took her to an unknown place. The other passengers continued their journey without harm,” the source said.

The family got worried when the kidnappers did not contact them for nearly a week to demand ransom.

They then reached out to security agents, who tracked the councillor’s phone number.

“On Thursday, a voice answered the call, saying the owner of the phone is dead,” the source said.

The source also mentioned that the driver and the person who answered the call on the councillor’s phone have been arrested and are helping security agents with their investigations.

PREMIUM TIMES could not verify the family’s details about the abduction and death.

Samuel Agada, the President-General of the Ogugu District Union, condemned the abduction and killing. He called the act barbaric.

In a statement with the union’s national executive, Mr Agada said Ms Adukwu was a grassroots leader, a businesswoman, a wife, and a mother. Her death has left her family and community heartbroken.

“Hon. Adukwu was a dedicated grassroots leader, a hardworking businesswoman, and a devoted mother and wife who was only striving to earn a living for her family,” he said.

“This is a painful loss, not just for her family and Ogugu Ward III, but for Ubelr District, Ogugu Chiefdom, Olamaboro LGA, and Kogi State at large. We condemn this barbaric act completely.”

The councillor was laid to rest around 1 p.m. on Friday at her family compound in Ogugu Centre.

The spokesperson for the Kogi State Police Command, Saliu Oyiza Afusat, did not respond to questions about the incident at the time of writing.