Prince Eloniyo Dennis Abuda, a Nigerian based in the United States of America, was kidnapped on Saturday, January 30, 2021 along the Benin-Akure road on his way to Lagos from Fugar, Etsako Central Local Government Area of Edo State.
Later, the decomposing body of Prince Abuda was found on Tuesday near the small town of Agbanikaka, Ovia North East Local Government Area of the state.
Prince Abuda who was based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States was kidnapped near Agbanikaka with some of his family members including a woman who was travelling with him to Lagos to catch a flight back to the United States.
Sources said that the realtor and president of Fugar America Foundation was reportedly shot dead by the kidnappers after he slumped during the forced long march to the bush.
The remains of Abuda were discovered in the bush after the payment of the ransom money to free the other hostages who led the family members to the scene along the Benin-Akure Road.
A family member said that the corpse of the US-based Nigerian has been deposited at an undisclosed hospital in Edo State, pending burial arrangements by the grief-stricken relatives.
Other abducted persons who were travelling with the deceased businessman who had returned to celebrate Christmas and New Year holidays with friends and family were, however, released safely.
The abductors who originally demanded a sum of N20 million before setting the victims free later reduced the ransom to N10 million after a series of negotiations and pleadings by the family members.
A family source said: “Prince Abuda was shot dead by the abductors when he couldn’t walk anymore and slumped. The kidnappers didn’t want to leave him behind as they were afraid that he will reveal their hideout to security agencies and so decided to shoot him.”
