The Vice Chairman of Ilejemeje Local Government Area in Ekiti State, Grace Ogunleye, has been remanded at the Ado-Ekiti Correctional Centre following her arraignment on charges of conspiracy and self-kidnapping. Mrs. Ogunleye appeared before a Chief Magistrate Court in Ado-Ekiti on Wednesday alongside three other suspects, as confirmed by the Ekiti State Police Command.
Court Proceedings
Police spokesperson Sunday Abutu stated that the suspects were charged after an investigation into the reported abduction of the council vice chairman. During the hearing, prosecutor Akinwale Oriyomi informed the court that the case file had been forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions for legal advice. He requested that the defendants be remanded pending further action. Chief Magistrate Abayomi Adeosun granted the request, ordering that all defendants be held at the Ado-Ekiti Correctional Centre.
From Reported Abduction to Criminal Charges
The case marks a dramatic shift from initial reports of a kidnapping that raised concerns about insecurity in Ilejemeje. Mrs. Ogunleye was reported missing on May 20 after her vehicle was found abandoned along the Ipere–Iludun Ekiti Road. Local officials initially stated she had been abducted by suspected gunmen while traveling to Ido-Ekiti after an official engagement. This incident occurred just three weeks after a reported kidnapping of church worshippers in Eda Oniyo, also in Ilejemeje.
Falade Sunday, the Director of Information and Civic Orientation in the council, confirmed the earlier report, noting that security agencies had launched efforts to locate and rescue the vice chairman. “The Vice Chairman of Ilejemeje Local Government, Mrs Grace Ogunleye, has reportedly been kidnapped along Ipere–Iludun Ekiti road. Her vehicle was later found abandoned while her whereabouts remain unknown,” he said at the time. Mrs. Ogunleye was later found unharmed following a security operation.
Investigation Changes Narrative
However, police investigations took a different turn after allegations emerged that the abduction might have been staged. Authorities alleged that the incident was orchestrated to raise money to offset financial obligations and political commitments. The allegations gained public attention after a Facebook user, Festus Ojo, claimed that the vice chairman had arranged her own kidnapping because she was unable to fulfill commitments made to a politician after receiving funds. Although police have not publicly linked their case to the specific social media allegations, investigators proceeded with criminal charges following their inquiry.
Council Chairman Responds
Following the emergence of the allegations, the Chairman of Ilejemeje Local Government Area, Pius Alaba Dada, condemned the alleged conduct and called for due process. In a statement, Mr. Dada described the development as “shocking, disturbing, and entirely unacceptable.” He stressed that no public official would be shielded from accountability. “We wish to assure the good people of Ilejemeje Local Government that no individual is above the law. The law must take its full course without interference, irrespective of status or political position,” he said. The chairman also commended security agencies for their investigation and urged residents to avoid spreading unverified information that could cause tension. The case is expected to proceed after legal advice is issued by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
