Nigeria Content Online

The Ondo State
police have arrested five persons in connection with the kidnap of Mafe
Ibrahim, the mother of Jimoh Ibrahim. According to an assistant
commissioner of police who prefers anonymity, the suspects were
arrested in the environs of Igbotako and are helping the police in
their investigations. The police officer told NEXT that the kidnap was
not politically motivated.

The state police
command had recently announced that the case has been transferred to
the Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.

Playing politics with the kidnap

While the PDP, Mr
Ibrahim’s party alleged that the ruling Labour Party was behind the
abduction, the state government advised Mr Ibrahim and his party men to
look within themselves for the kidnappers.

The state
government through the commissioner for information, Ranti Akerele,
accused Mr Ibrahim of “playing politics” with the kidnap of his mother.

The commissioner
faulted Mr Ibrahim’s account of the kidnap saying, “Ibrahim presented
the case as if the kidnap was masterminded and executed by the state
government, hence his demand for the declaration for a state of
emergency in the state.” Mr Akerele added, “the security agencies that
have already been drafted to effect the release of this woman should
look beyond the ordinary and search the confines of Jimoh Ibrahim’s
household.

“They should look
among his political associates who seem to be rejoicing at the sad
development and his myriad of business associates.

“It is the height of immorality for anybody to think of scoring cheap political goals with the kidnap of a 65-year-old woman.

“If a beneficiary
of the kindness and love of one earlier victim could organise and
mastermind the kidnap of his benefactor, who says desperate political
rookies cannot plan and execute the kidnap of a poor old woman?” He
asked.

The commissioner
also noted that the act could be carried out by the PDP, “in order to
create a band of phantom stakeholders whose only tangible solution to
the incident is to call for a state of emergency in Ondo State.” He
said: “With all the powers at the disposal of the peace-loving
government of Ondo State, issues of security have been pursued with
unprecedented focus since April 2009. Such that in all the reported
cases of kidnap, not only have the victims returned to safety but the
culprits have been apprehended to the eternal shame of those who cry
wolf when there are none.”

They wanted Jimoh out

But the PDP in a
statement by its Director of Publicity, Ayo Fadaka, alleged that the
Labour Party carried out the act, “to discourage Jimoh Ibrahim from
further participating in politics.” Mr Fadaka said, “Our attention has
been drawn to the kidnap of Madam Ibrahim, the mother of Barrister
Jimoh Ibrahim who is a solid pillar of our Party both in this state and
nationally. It will be recalled that our state has been going through
lots of security challenges in recent weeks and this is occasioned by
the garrulity of Labour Party leaders and rank and file whose concept
of politicking is to stand the laws on its head and use under the table
tactics to secure victory. Their approach so far has led to the death
of Emmanuel Adebayo in Ose and scores of brutalised and wounded people
across the state. Their latest action is the kidnap of this old woman,
this development is not only evil, but sadistic, comprehensively wicked
and unacceptable.

“In their
imagination it is the needed trump card that is needed to disorientate,
disorganise and discourage Jimoh Ibrahim in his quest to join others in
leading the party to victory in the forthcoming elections in Ondo
State. But we want to assure them that their calculation is not only
shallow but will fail to achieve their desired goal.” Mr Fadaka called
on the law enforcement agents to treat the matter with urgency, adding
that the culprits and their sponsors should be brought to book.

Mr Ibrahim’s
mother was kidnapped from her Igbotako home on Sunday evening by four
unidentified gunmen. It was gathered that the gunmen arrived at the
house, a one-storey building located in the outskirts of the town
around 8pm, and pretended to be customers who wanted to buy some
locally made mats which the woman was selling.