15th May, 2015
Lukmon Akintola
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Chapter, has appealed for the release of their kidnapped member, Dr. Femi Omisore.
Omisore, a lecturer in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, was abducted on Friday, 8 May 2015, on his way to Oye-Ekiti for a funeral ceremony.
Reports say the Chairman of ASUU, OAU Chapter, Dr. Caleb Aborisade, appealed to the kidnappers after they demanded for N70 million ransom before he would be released.
The kidnappers stated their demand on Sunday, when they called the wife of victim through his phone.
“I was told that Dr. Femi Omisore was going for a funeral ceremony in Oye-Ekiti on Friday when he was abducted. The funeral ceremony was for a member of his department who was burying his father.
“It was on Sunday that the kidnappers put a call to his wife and they demanded N70 million ransom,” he said.
Dr. Aborisade urged to the kidnappers to release their members because “We are not politicians, we are running our union from the stipends we get from our members and where do you expect us to get such amount of money? Please, release our member for God’s sake as his family could not afford such huge amount of money.”
Also reacting, Comrade Emmanuel Ojedokun, the Public Relations Officer, OAU Students’ Union, expressed how embittered he was when he heard the news.
He also condemned the act and appealed to the kidnappers to release the victim unhurt.
“It was disheartening when I heard about the abduction of Dr. Femi Aborisade, we just lost a colleague in an auto crash, and this again. We urge the kidnappers to please release our lecturer without any hurt, as he is a rare gem to us.
“I will also urge the government to tighten the security of this country as it is one of the core objectives of any government. The issue of kidnapping is becoming rampant and we hope our government will do something about it as soon as possible,” Ojedokun said.