…Your people aids kidnapping – Gov’s Aide
By David Akinadewo-Adekahunsi
Residents of Ondo State took to the streets of Akure on Tuesday, demanding urgent intervention in the abduction of nine surveyors who were seized by armed men at Ilu-Abo in Akure North Local Government Area last week.
The victims were reportedly at a job site when they were taken captive, sparking outrage among locals.
The demonstration, led predominantly by women, saw protesters wielding placards and tree branches as they blocked the busy Oba Adesida Road, disrupting traffic while chanting songs of distress.
The protest procession culminated at the Governor’s Office in Alagbaka, where they called on security agencies to secure the immediate release of their loved ones.
Among the demonstrators was Mrs Comfort Afolabi, whose brother is one of the abducted surveyors.
She revealed that the kidnappers initially demanded a ransom of ₦50 million but later doubled it to ₦100 million.
“We have been pleading with them, but they insist they won’t release our loved ones unless we pay the full amount. We are helpless and need the government to intervene,” she lamented.
The incident adds to the growing wave of insecurity in Ondo State.
Just last week, a farmer and his manager were abducted while returning from their farm in the Osi-Oba Ile area.
In a separate incident, at least 20 people were killed in a night raid on four communities within Akure North Local Government Area.
Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Wilfred Afolabi, acknowledged the rising security challenges but admitted that the command was struggling with inadequate logistics to tackle criminal activities effectively.
“The issue of kidnapping is a serious concern, and we are doing everything within our capacity to address it. However, we need better resources to strengthen our operations,” he stated.
Also speaking, Mrs Oluwatoyin Arowosafe, the Iyaloja Oritagun, whose brother, Baba Ijemikin, had sent the surveyors to the site, pleaded with Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s administration to intervene immediately.
She highlighted the increasing plight of widows and families losing their loved ones to rampant kidnappings, describing the situation as unbearable.
However, addressing the protesters, the Special Adviser to Governor Aiyedatiwa on Union Matters, Mr Bola Taiwo, criticised the surveyors for venturing to the site without security backup.
“They collected money for the job; they should have arranged for security. No kidnapping happens without an insider’s involvement,” Taiwo asserted.
He further urged the women to confront “bad eggs” within their communities, insisting that such crimes could not occur without local collaboration.
“No Hausa or Fulani can come from afar to kidnap people in an area without the support of residents,” he said.
Assuring the protesters that the government was working on the issue, Taiwo stated that further discussions would be held behind closed doors to ensure the safe release of the victims.
