By Duchess Ifeoluwa
Residents of Ilu-Abo and neighbouring communities in the Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State on Tuesday staged a protest over rising insecurity, blocking the busy Akure–Owo Expressway to demand urgent government intervention.
In a dramatic twist, the protesters used the remains of a victim of a suspected kidnapping attack to barricade the highway as they expressed anger over the worsening security situation in the area.
The protest followed another suspected kidnapping incident which reportedly left one person dead and three others abducted.
Residents said the latest attack occurred late Monday night when heavily armed men stormed the Ilu-Abo community, firing sporadically into the air and causing panic before abducting three persons.
Eyewitnesses said one of the victims was shot during the attack and later died from gunshot wounds, while the assailants whisked away three other residents to an unknown destination.
The development has further heightened fears among residents who say the Ilu-Abo axis and surrounding communities have recently become targets for kidnappers operating along the Akure Airport Road corridor and nearby forest areas.
Some residents recalled that only a day earlier, suspected gunmen abducted a local government official, Joseph Kayode, and another victim, Esther Akinlolu, at a poultry farm along Kajola Road in the Ilu-Abo area.
They also lamented that several farmers and residents had previously been kidnapped in the area in recent months, forcing many people to abandon their farms and restricting movement, especially at night.
Angered by the latest incident, youths and other residents took to the streets early Tuesday, blocking the expressway with logs of wood, tyres and other objects, thereby bringing vehicular movement to a standstill.
The protest caused a major gridlock on the highway, which serves as a strategic route linking the southern part of the country with the northern region.
Some protesters were seen carrying the lifeless body of the victim while chanting protest songs and demanding urgent government intervention to address the persistent insecurity in the communities around the airport road.
The residents carried placards with inscriptions such as “We Are Dying, Save Our Soul,” “Mr Governor, Please Assist Us,” “Our Children Are in Danger,” and “We Cannot Go to Farms Again.”
A resident who spoke with journalists during the protest lamented that kidnappings had become frequent in the area, accusing authorities of failing to take decisive action to protect lives and property.
“The government is not doing anything to protect us. People are living in fear, and many farmers can no longer go to their farms,” the resident said.
The protesters insisted that they would not allow vehicular movement along the road until the government addressed the worsening insecurity affecting communities in Akure North Local Government Area.
They also demanded that the Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, personally visit the community to address their concerns and reassure them of the government’s commitment to their safety.
However, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Adebowale Lawal, who visited the scene of the protest, appealed to the residents to allow the free flow of traffic.
Lawal assured them that security agencies, including the Ondo State Security Network Agency, popularly known as Amotekun, and the police, were intensifying efforts to secure the area and track down those responsible for the attacks.
Despite his appeal, the protesters insisted that they would not vacate the road, saying their lives remained in danger due to the persistent activities of kidnappers.
The police commissioner also paid a visit to the traditional ruler of Ilu-Abo, Oba Olu Falae, where he briefed the monarch on ongoing security efforts aimed at tackling the insecurity in the community.
Lawal further assured residents that additional police personnel and tactical units would be deployed to the area to strengthen security and curb criminal activities.
