“Another Breach in Ilejemeje!” Gunmen Ambush Ekiti Council Vice Chairman Grace Ogunleye; Local Government Boss Snatched Along Lonely Highway as Her Car is Found Empty

The security shield protecting public officials in Ekiti State suffered a severe blow today Wednesday, May 20, 2026, as the Vice Chairman of the Ilejemeje Local Government Area, Hon. Chief Mrs. Grace Ogunleye, was violently hijacked and abducted by unidentified gunmen. The high-profile ambush has instantly heightened tension across neighboring communities, reinforcing fears that regional transport corridors are becoming highly compromised.

The political leader was reportedly navigating the quiet stretch linking Ipere and Iludun Ekiti when the armed syndicate struck. Ogunleye was returning from an official assignment in Ilejemeje and heading toward Ido-Ekiti when her transit manual was completely disrupted. Local commuters later stumbled upon her vehicle engine idling by the brush line with the doors flung open, a telltale sign of a forced abduction. Family members who tried to open a communication portal to verify her safety confirmed that her mobile lines were abruptly cut off immediately after the encounter.

This latest security fracture comes exactly three weeks after the infamous Eda Oniyo church nightmare, where armed bandits breached a night vigil, assassinated a guest minister, and marched 15 worshippers into the forest trenches under a staggering ₦1 billion demand. The fact that the perpetrators have targeted another high-value asset within the exact same local government area is raising intense questions about local intelligence networks.

Confirming the development on Wednesday night, the Director of Information and Civic Orientation for the local government, Falade Sunday, assured the public that a complete tactical rescue operation has been activated. A joint security dragnet involving the police, local hunters, and the Amotekun Corps has already commenced aggressive bush-combing along the border axes linking neighboring states.

As governor-appointed security advisers move to coordinate operations on the ground, residents are demanding a total overhaul of rural highway safety manuals. For a region still reeling from the psychological trauma of the church raids, the disappearance of a senior council administrator is a stark reminder that the portal of rural insecurity requires a swift, permanent closure before the entire zone plunges into absolute panic.