How A Palm Wine Tapper Rescued Osun State Speaker's Wife

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Facts emerged yesterday on how Alhaja Muibat Salaam, wife of Osun State House of Assembly Speaker Najeem Salaam, regained her freedom four days after she was abducted.

Mrs. Salaam, who was abducted last Tuesday in Ejigbo by gunmen, returned to Osogbo, the state capital, around 1am yesterday in the company of the state Director of the State Security Service (SSS), the Police Commissioner and the Speaker’s Chief Detail Officer. It was learnt that Mrs. Salaam was smuggled out of the state in a trailer and was rescued at Ogunmakin, a village off the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

A family source said: “A palm wine tapper on top of a palm tree noticed the kidnappers, who were between 28 and 40 years old, with a lone woman in the back cabin of the trailer. He alerted a vigilance group and they accosted the kidnappers. An argument ensued and resulted in a gun battle between the kidnappers and members of the vigilance group.

“Two of the kidnappers were killed. Three were apprehended, but the rest escaped. Alhaja was rescued unhurt. A towing vehicle operator in the village phoned a member of the Oyo State House of Assembly and notified him of the development.

“The lawmaker contacted Oyo State Assembly Speaker Monsurat Sunmonu, who contacted Najeem. Alhaja said her kidnappers offered her bread and Lacasera, but she refused to take anything all through.”

It was learnt that three traditional rulers – the Timi of Ede, Oba Munirudeen Lawal; the Olufon of Ifon, Oba Abdulmaroof Adekunle Magbagbeola and the Elerin of Erin-Osun, Oba Yusuf Omoloye Oyagbodun II – were with Salaam at his home in Osogbo around 2:30pm on Saturday, when his Oyo State counterpart phoned and informed him that his wife had been found.

A family source debunked reports that the kidnappers demanded N200 million ransom. Salaam thanked members of the Ogun State vigilance group and security agencies for rescuing his wife. In a statement by his media aide, Mr. Goke Butika, the Speaker said he was impressed by the people’s support to his family throughout the ordeal.

He thanked Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola; his deputy, Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori; members of the State Executive Council; traditional and religious leaders; Assembly members and the media.

Salaam said his wife’s abduction has reinforced the threat of insecurity in the country and urged the relevant authorities to act decisively.

The Osun State chapter of the Alliance for Collaborating Political Party (ACPP) has hailed the vigilance group that rescued Mrs. Salaam.

In a statement by its Chairman Waheed Lawal and Secretary Rufus Oyatoro yesterday, ACPP urged security agencies to sit up and tighten security in the state.

ACPP comprises nine political parties – the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP); National Conscience Party (NCP), Labour Party (LP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), All Democratic Congress (ADC), Justice Party (JP), Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), Progressive Action Congress (PAC) and the National Unity Party (NUP).