Prof. Olorunfemi Olaofe, the former Deputy Vice Chancellor of Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, who was kidnapped on 9 July, was confirmed dead by locals on Wednesday.
The retired university lecturer was abducted from his house alongside his security guard on 9 July; after a series of investigations and searches, the police were able to recover the car of the VC but were unable to rescue the kidnapped victims.
The source who spoke to newsmen noted that the body of the 79-year-old retired university teacher was discovered in a shallow grave in a remote area after the former had died at the hands of the kidnappers. At the time of this report, the actual cause of the death of the aged academician has not been ascertained as it remains unclear if the death was natural or his abductors killed him.
After his kidnap, the abductors requested an N50 million ransom and were later remained unreachable by the family. It was suspected that the VC had died, but the family remained optimistic about his return.
Adeniran Akinwale, the Commissioner of Police, Ekiti State Command, who confirmed the death of the former VC, explained that the police are doing everything to examine the body that was buried in a shallow grave for proper burial according to the custom of the land.
He explained that an initial investigation suggested an insider was involved in the kidnap of the academic. He noted that a prime suspect in the case remains the security guards employed by the late professor.
“However, we have arrested many people, and you know the incident’s circumstances. We suspect insider involvement, as the security man employed by the professor was the one who planned it.
The commissioner noted that proper information would be passed to the public but noted that a few arrests have been made by the police in relation to his death, he noted that the prime suspect who planned the incident wanted both of the kidnapped so no one could suspect him