A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Oyo State, Wale Oriade, who was abducted some weeks ago, on Saturday regained his freedom after 39 days in captivity. The Public Relations Officer of the APC in the state, Wale Sadare, confirmed this to The PUNCH Online by telephone from Ibadan, the state capital. Eyewitnesses said the attackers arrived in a blue Micra vehicle with two occupants—a driver and an armed man—who forcibly seized Oriade and whisked him away in the same vehicle. He (Oriade) has been released.”Investigations by our correspondent further revealed that a ransom was paid to the abductors before his release. As of press time, no official statement has been released by the state Police command.

Source: Punch January 10, 2026 12:10 UTC