LG Vice Chairman remanded in prison for allegedly staging own kidnapping to raise funds

In a shocking development amidst rising cases of kidnappings across the country, Ms Grace Ogunleye, the Vice Chairman of Ilejemeje Local Government Area of Ekiti State, has been remanded at the Ado-Ekiti Correctional Centre and is facing legal charges for alleged conspiracy and self-kidnapping.

According to available reports, Ogunleye was arraigned before a Chief Magistrate’s Court in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, alongside three other defendants on Wednesday following police investigations into the alleged incident.

The court ordered that the council vice chairman and her co-defendants be remanded in custody pending further proceedings in the matter.

The development marks a dramatic twist in a case that initially generated widespread concern after Ogunleye was reportedly kidnapped in May.

Speaking on the matter, the spokesperson of the Ekiti State Police Command, Sunday Abutu, said the suspects were arraigned after a thorough investigation into the allegations levelled against them.

During the court proceedings, the prosecutor, Akinwale Oriyimi, informed the court that the case file had already been forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions in the state for legal advice.

He subsequently urged the court to remand the accused persons pending the outcome of the legal review.

Ruling on the application, Chief Magistrate Abayomi Adeosun ordered that Ogunleye and the other defendants be remanded at the Ado-Ekiti Correctional Centre pending further proceedings.

The case stems from an incident that occurred on May 20, when Ogunleye was declared missing after her vehicle was reportedly discovered abandoned along the Ipere–Iludun Ekiti Road.

At the time, initial reports indicated that the council vice chairman had been abducted by gunmen shortly after departing the local government secretariat.

The reported kidnapping sparked concern among residents and political stakeholders within the state.

She was later found unharmed following a joint rescue operation conducted by security personnel.

However, subsequent investigations by the police reportedly uncovered a different narrative.

According to investigators, the alleged abduction was staged as part of a plan to raise funds to offset financial obligations and outstanding political commitments.

The police alleged that the kidnapping incident was orchestrated rather than carried out by criminal elements, leading to the filing of charges bordering on conspiracy and self-kidnapping against Ogunleye and the other defendants.

Reacting to the development, the Chairman of Ilejemeje Local Government Area, Pius Dada, condemned the alleged act, describing it as embarrassing and unacceptable.

Dada warned that such actions, if proven, could undermine public confidence in elected officials and security institutions.

He further stressed that no holder of public office would be protected from the law if found culpable of any wrongdoing. According to him, accountability and respect for the rule of law must remain paramount regardless of status or position.

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