Kidnapped ex-Edo commissioner found dead in forest

The Edo State Police Command has found the dead body of a former commissioner for youths and sports in the state, Mr. Presley Ediagbonya.

Ediagbonya was allegedly abducted by gunmen in his farm at Utese village, Ovia North-East LGA of the state on May, 16th 2020.

A statement signed and issued on Saturday by the command’s spokesperson, DSP Chidi Nwabuzor, said the lifeless body of the former commissioner was discovered by some farmers in a forest at Utese, a village sharing boundary with Ondo state.

“Edo state police command wishes to inform the general public that on Friday the 29th of May, 2020 at about 6.30pm, the remains of Hon P. E. Ediagbonya, a former civil commissioner for youth and sports, Edo state, was found by some farmers in a forest sharing boundary with Ondo state at Utese village,”

He said the farmer then rushed to the village to break the news and thereafter moved to the divisional police headquarters, Okada, and reported the development to the Divisional Police Officer of the station.

He said, “Immediately, the DPO mobilized his men, contacted the medical team of Igbinedion University Okada, and moved to the forest, in company of the deceased family and the community people.

According to him, the remains of Hon P. E. Ediagbonya was identified at the scene by his family, and that his remains was professionally evacuated and taken to Igbinedion University Hospital mortuary, Okada, for autopsy examination.

Confusion had trailed the whereabouts of the deceased, following reports that he was killed by his abductors two days after his abduction.