Armed men believed to be kidnappers have abducted another traditional ruler in Ekiti, Oba Benjamin Oso, the Eleda of Eda Ile, in Ekiti East Local Government Area.

A source told reporters on Saturday in Ado Ekiti that the traditional ruler was returning from the farm with his wife  on Friday, when he was abducted but his wife was spared.

The incident made him the third traditional ruler to be attacked in similar circumstances in less than three months.

Retired Brigadier-General Joe Komolafe, the Commander of the Ekiti State Security Network code-named Amotekun, on Saturday confirmed the kidnapping of the traditional ruler in the state.

He said that all the security outfits in Ekiti, including police, soldiers, Amotekun corps, local hunters and Vigilance groups were already in  the forest searching for the Oba.

However, the Police Public Relations Officer  Ekiti Command, ASP Sunday Abutu, said the command was still studying the reports and would react formally as soon as details about the veracity or otherwise of the alleged incident are available.

Local sources told reporters in Ado Ekiti that Mr Oso and his wife would have been kidnapped, but for the appeal made to them by the traditional ruler to leave his wife.

“The Oba and the wife went to the farm and were accosted by the gunmen.

“The two would have been kidnapped but the monarch begged the bandits to free his wife, which they agreed with,” one of the sources said.

(NAN)