The lifeless body of a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Ondo State, Olamide Odimayo, who was kidnapped last week, was found floating on the coastal waters of Ese-Odo.

The Ondo State Police Command while confirming the incident on Monday, said the search for the abducted politician had continued since June 15, with the arrest of eight suspects.

The command’s Public Relations Officer, Femi Joseph, told newsmen that the body of the victim was found just when it appeared that his rescue was near following the arrest of suspected members of the kidnap gang.

Odimayo was kidnapped by the gunmen on Thursday at his home in Igbotu town in Ese Odo Local Council of the state. Joseph said the suspects had led the police to the hideout, but only the lifeless body was found floating at Ogolo River, between Sabomi and Igbotu towns in Ese-Odo.

“One of the suspects who took our men to the hideout claimed he was the one who took the victim to the hideout. He said during the course of transporting him to the place, the victim fell into the water and because he could not swim, died.”

There were however reports from Igbotu town that youths in the area chased the kidnappers on the day they abducted Odumayo, caught one of them and killed him. Sources said the kidnappers might have killed their victim in retaliation for the death of their member.

Odimayo was the candidate of the APC for the last Ondo House of Assembly elections for the Ese-Odo State constituency, an election he lost to the PDP.

•Excerpted from a Guardian report.