.Police confirm death of reverend father in Kogi
Chuks Okocha in Abuja and Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has challenged President Bola Tinubu to extend the same security strategy that secured the rescue of abducted pupils and teachers in Oriire, Oyo State, to rescuing other Nigerians who remain in captivity across Kwara, Borno and other parts of the country.
This was as the Kogi Police Command has confirmed the death of a clergyman, Rev. Fr. Samuel Opeyemi Oyetoro who was killed by the unknown assailants along Lokoja- Ajaokuta Highway.
In a statement issued yesterday by the ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said that the successful operation in Oyo should not be treated as a special case but a general standard in responding to kidnapping cases, regardless of what part of the country it occurred or the language that the victims speak.
The party said that it has taken note of President Tinubu’s remarks on Thursday while receiving traditional rulers from Oyo State, led by the Olubadan of Ibadanland, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
In celebrating the rescue of the pupils and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, the President disclosed that his administration rejected negotiations with the kidnappers and instead relied on security operations that eventually secured the victims’ freedom, including targeting the families of the kidnappers.
According to the spokesman of the ADC, “Every Nigerian should be delighted with the outcome of this bold strategy by the federal government. Every life rescued from the hands of kidnappers is a victory for the country. Every family reunited with loved ones deserves relief. But the success of that operation also raises a question that cannot be ignored.
“If the federal government has the intelligence network, the operational capacity and the political resolve to bring the victims in Oriire home without yielding to the demands of kidnappers, why has the government not applied the same strategy to rescue other victims who have fallen victims much longer and have continued to languish in kidnappers’ den till today?
“As at today, there are still hundreds of families in Kwara State who still wake up every day not knowing whether their loved ones are alive. There are still communities in Borno that are still waiting for their loved ones to return. Across Zamfara, Kaduna, Niger, Benue and other parts of the country, countless families continue to wait for the phone call that never comes, the rescue that never arrives, or simply some assurance that their government has not moved on. Those families ask for no special treatment. They ask only for equal humanity and equal citizenship,” he stated.
According to Abdullahi, “The President told the kidnappers in Oriire, ‘No deal’. He must demonstrate equal resolve and send equally unmistakable message and give real hope to families still waiting for a son, daughter, husband, wife or parent that the government has not forgotten them.
“The rescue in Oriire should not stand as an exceptional story that government recounts with pride. It should be the standard by which every response to kidnapping is measured. This is the only way to settle an argument that should no longer be necessary, which is whether President Tinubu considers some kidnapping victims more important than others.
“As salutary as the Oriire rescue operation is, the real measure of a government should not be whether it succeeds on a particular incident. It is whether the government has put in place measures and developed the capacity to ensure that Nigerians are no longer easy targets for kidnappers and when it does happen, Nigerians, regardless of where they live, can expect the government will get them out regardless of what part of the country they reside.
“We therefore urge the President to ensure that the same intelligence, surveillance and operational determination deployed in Oriire are immediately brought to bear in Kwara, Borno and every other state where Nigerians remain in captivity. No family should have to wonder whether the urgency of government depends on where tragedy happens.”
Meanwhile, the demise of Rev. Fr. Oyetoro was contained in a statement signed by the Kogi State Police Command PPRO, ASP Afusat Saliu, yesterday.
“On 29th July 2026, at about 9:30a.m., the police received information that the lifeless body of an unidentified male was found by the roadside along Church Road, Ajaokuta.
“Operatives promptly mobilised to the scene, where it was observed that the deceased had sustained severe machete cuts to the head. The body was evacuated to the ASCL Hospital, where he was confirmed dead by a medical doctor, and was thereafter deposited at the mortuary for autopsy.
“The deceased was later identified as Rev. Fr. Samuel Opeyemi of St. Paul Parish, Ayetoro Gbede, Ijumu LGA, Kogi State.
“The case is currently under investigation, and efforts are ongoing to apprehend those responsible. Upon the conclusion of preliminary investigation, the case will be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for discreet investigation.
“We will provide further updates as the investigation progresses.”
It was gathered that suspected hoodlums allegedly killed Rev. Fr. Oyetoro, a Catholic priest born in Egbe, Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State and a native of Ayetoro in Ijumu Local Government in Ajaokuta on Wednesday. Until his death, he served as a priest at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Egbe.
According to available information, Rev. Fr. Oyetoro was reportedly stabbed multiple times, and his lifeless body was later discovered by the roadside in Ajaokuta.
The tragic death of the priest has thrown the Catholic community and many residents of Kogi State into mourning.