Masked gunmen have kidnapped the traditional ruler of Aafin community in Kwara State’s Ifelodun Local Council, Oba Simeon Olaonipekun, and his son, Olaolu.
The assailants also shot the monarch’s wife, Queen Felicia Olaonipekun, in the arm during the violent invasion of the palace on New Year’s Eve.
Approximately eight attackers stormed the palace around 8:00 p.m., firing sporadically and breaking down doors to force entry.
Palace sources revealed that the family had noticed suspicious movements and secured the building beforehand, but the gunmen overwhelmed the resistance from palace vigilantes.
The wounded queen was rushed to the hospital and is receiving treatment, while the abducted monarch and his son—a member of the National Youth Service Corps—remain with their captors.
The incident has been reported to local police divisions and security networks, with neighboring traditional rulers also alerted.
Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.
Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.
He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.
Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).
He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.
He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.
Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.
