By Jethro Ibileke
Edo State Police Command has announced the discovery of the remains of a former commissioner for youths and sports the sport in the state, Mr. Presley Ediagbonya, alleged to have been abducted in his farm at Utese village, Ovia North-East LGA of the state, on Saturday, 16 May, by gunmen suspected to be kidnappers.
The command announced the discovery in a statement released Saturday morning by its spokesman, DSP Chidi Nwabuzor.
The lifeless body of the APC chieftain was said to have been found by some farmers in a forest at Utese, a village sharing boundary with Ondo state.
The statement said: “Edo state police command wishes to inform the general public to inform the general public that on Friday the 29th of May, 2020 at about 6.30pm, the remains of Hon P. E. Ediagbonya, a former civil commissioner for youth and sports, Edo state, was found by some farmers in a forest sharing boundary with Ondo state at Utese village.
“The farmers who were uneasy and apprehensive about the horrible sight, rushed to the village to break the news, thereafter moved to the divisional police headquarters, Okada, and reported the development to the Divisional Police Officer of the station.
“Immediately, the DPO mobilized his men, contacted the medical team of Igbinedion University Okada, and moved to the forest, in company of the deceased family and the community people.
“At the scene, the remains of Hon P. E. Ediagbonya was identified to be him by his family and immediately his remains was professionally evacuated and taken to Igbinedion University Hospital mortuary, Okada, for autopsy examination.”
It would be recalled that confusion had trailed the whereabouts of the deceased, following reports that he was killed by his abductors two days after his abduction, only for his family members to deny his death.
A family source who craved for anonymity last Tuesday described Ediagbonya’s death report as “hasty.”
The source who spoke with journalists on phone, said: “The abductors requested for N10 million ransom and we (family members) pleaded for N5 million.
“The abductors thereafter asked us to pay the ransom at a location in Asaba, Delta State; and we complied.
“Few hours later, the abductors sent the family text message that our brother had been killed.
“So, what I am saying is that the abductors only claimed they have killed my brother, but by the grace of God, I know he will come out alive.”