Akeredolu condemns murder of lecturer, says it is national loss

ASUU, others mourn
Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has condemned the murder of Prof. Gideon Okedayo in the hands of his abductors, describing it as heinous and barbaric.

Akeredolu made the condemnation in a statement made available to journalists yesterday in Akure by Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ojo Oyewamide.

The governor said it as was a great loss to the nation and the academic community, urging security agencies to get to the root of this and other avoidable killings that have pervaded the nation lately.

He said: “The governor condoles with the family of the deceased and OSUSTECH, his last place of work, and prayed God to give them the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.”

Also, Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), OSUSTECH Branch, Dr. Dipo Akomolafe, disclosed that the abductors never contacted anybody for ransom.

“His decomposing body was found in the bush. This is so sad to ASUU and his family members because the abductors never called anybody, whether ASUU or Okedayo’s family, for ransom,” he lamented.

Reacting to the incident, Chairman, Joint Action Committee of Staff Unions of the OSUSTECH, Mr. Temidayo Temola, said the gruesome murder had thrown the university community into mourning.

Temola described the late don of Mathematics as a peace-loving and generous person, saying: “In fact, the death of Prof. Okedayo is a big loss to this institution; we will really miss him.”

Okedayo, whose body was found around the scene he was reportedly abducted in Edo State, was professor in the Department of Mathematical Science of Ondo State University of Science and Technology (OSUSTECH), Okitipupa, before his tragic death.

He was kidnapped by unknown gunmen last week alongside his driver on their way to Igara in Edo State.

The driver was later released after which he reported to the police and the Edo State Police Command had announced earlier that it had recovered Okedayo’s official vehicle, a Toyota Corolla car with registration number 06X47OD few hours after the abduction.

The Guardian learnt that Okedayo’s decomposing body was found on Monday in the bush where he was abducted. It has not been confirmed whether the late lecturer was killed by the abductors or not as at the time of filing this report.