Kidnappers murder, dump victim’s body near family house

TRACKING_____Kidnappers yesterday dumped the decomposing body of a 35-year-old man, Sebastian Kadiri, in his residential area at Issele-Azagba community in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State.

Issele-Azagba was among the towns, including Oko kingdom and Okwe community at Oshimili South Local Government Area in Asaba, and its nearby Okpanam in Oshimili North and Ogodo community in Aniocha North, where there was a strange incursion recently.

School children allegedly stumbled on his body on the roadside and raised the alarm which attracted neighbours and vigilantes in the community to the scene.

The body was discovered about 30 metres from Kadiri’s house.

This raised fear among residents that killer herdsmen might have invaded the area.

This came a few days after a 13-year-old girl, Deborah Williams, was abducted by suspected herdsmen but regained her freedom after spending over 52 hours in their den.

A few months ago, gunmen invaded the Issele-Asagba Mixed Secondary School, kidnapped and killed three persons, among them a teacher.

The state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, said in Asaba two days ago that government would not be blinded to provoked attacks by criminal elements and called on the Federal Government to take decisive action on the porous security development across the country.

The whereabouts of Kadiri, an engineer, were unknown until when his decomposing body was found by schoolchildren.

The President-General of Issele-Azagba Development Union (IDU), Mr. Ben Iloh, described the incident as frightening, sympathetic and unfortunate.

Iloh said they had searched for the victim without knowing that he had been killed by those who abducted him.

He said: “Government at all levels must intensify security to protect lives. Residents must now be at alert and report any suspicious movement. Unknown persons have invaded our land, killings have taken centre stage.”

The state Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO), DSP Onome Onovwakpoyeya, said the command had spread its tentacles to nab the perpetrators.

She said: “There is a manhunt for the fleeing suspects. The corpse was seen close to his house. His brother identified his body and requested for his immediate burial because of the decomposing nature.”