Residents Flee As Kidnappers Take Over Ogun Communities
Category: Crime News
Residents of Oke-Ata, Soyoye, Ibara Orile, Rounder and other communities in
Abeokuta North Local Government Area of Ogun State are currently under the
‘siege’ of kidnappers,
Daily Post
reports.
The affected communities, including those situated around
the Alamala Army Barracks, appear to have resorted to faith as they sleep and
wake under the fear that they could be abducted by kidnappers anytime.
Some of the residents, while speaking with DP correspondent,
expressed worries that the abductors, many of whom are armed with
sophisticated rifles, have been so emboldened that they no longer fear
security agents, as they kill or maim those who try to resist them.
READ: Kidnapping Is Good Business- ‘Kidnappers Drive The Best Cars’
Findings by the news medium revealed that the abductors are always
dressed in military camouflage to disguise and deceive their targets, whom
they capture for the sake of ransom.
It was also gathered that
some residents have started relocating from the affected communities to other
parts of Abeokuta.
“Some of our people in these communities have
started relocating. The tenants here are no longer willing to stay. We can’t
blame them, why will anybody continue to live in an area where he could be
abducted anytime?
READ: I Arranged The Kidnap Of My Ex-Bosses After I Was Sacked From The Bank – John Lyon
“Those of us who are tenants don’t know where to go or what to do. We have
called on the police, the Amotekun Corps, the So-Safe Corps, vigilantes and
all of them. They have been doing their best though, but it seems they are
overwhelmed. I’m afraid some landlords may abandon their houses to become
tenants outside there,” a homeowner in the area spoke anonymously.
A message circulating on the social media read that, “The rate at
which kidnappers are perpetrating their evil act by kidnapping innocent
residents of Oke-Ata, Ibara Orile, Soyoye and environs is increasing everyday.
“The kidnappers are now taking it as business to kidnap and
collect huge ransoms from their innocent victims who are resident in Oke-Ata,
Ibara Orile, Soyoye and environs.
READ: Kidnapping Now Impossible to Stop In Nigeria - Wike
“Meanwhile, families of the kidnapped victim, whom God saved after
payment of huge ransom to the kidnappers, said the kidnappers usually put on
military uniform. They are up to 15 in number. It also shows that they operate
with AK-47 and AK-49 guns.
“It has also been confirmed that the
kidnappers perpetrate those evil acts where there are bushes, which they use
as hideouts, escape route and as negotiating place by calling the families of
their victims from the bush for ransom before the victims could be released.”
As a result, a resident of Oke-Ata has called the attention of
Baales and Chairmen of all Community Development Association in all areas
where there are bushes to alert owners of the abandoned lands and uncompleted
buildings to come and start work on their land within one week, urging the
local and State governments to take actions.
READ: I went into Kidnapping Because It is More Profitable Than Mechanic Work
DP reported earlier that a vigilante leader, Muhammed Oke, was killed by the
kidnappers at Isaga/Ilewo-Orile.
The vigilante boss was shot dead
Thursday evening after he reportedly received a distress call from some
residents that gunmen were sighted inside a bush around the area.
On Friday, some unknown gunmen kidnapped a woman from the vehicle
of a lawyer at Soyoye.
READ: Kidnap Gang Leader Narrates How They Kidnapped Popular Lagos Hotel Owner
The incident, it was gathered, happened at the entrance of the lawyer’s
house.
The Soyoye community has a road that links Ayetoro to
Isaga, Ibara-Orile and Sokoto road. Within the last one year, policemen,
medical practitioners, teachers, traders, religious leaders and many
travellers were kidnapped and released after the payment of millions of Naira
as ransom.
In an interview with Daily Post, the Ogun State Police
Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the police are not unaware of
happenings in Abeokuta North.
READ: Tension in Kogi Over Increase in Kidnapping
“We are not oblivious of what is happening in Abeokuta North and we are
working assiduously to arrest the situation. As I am talking to you, some of
the kidnappers are in our custody and we are working hard to smash the other
gang; you know they operate in gangs.
“We have smashed some of
them, while the other gangs are still operating and we are working assiduously
to smash those gangs,” Oyeyemi said.
On the claim that the cases
of kidnapping are on the increase despite police intervention, Oyeyemi stated:
“People will not appreciate what you’re doing until they start seeing results.
When we achieve the desired results, many will appreciate what we are doing.
It is not everything that we’ll be making public, but when we get to the root
of the whole matter, people will appreciate our efforts.”
READ: Why I Abandoned My Teaching Job For Robbery and Kkidnapping -Mathematics Graduate
To residents of the area, Oyeyemi charged them to be vigilant, asking
them to constitute security awareness groups within their areas and engage the
services of local vigilantes to alert police when needs be.
While
speaking with DAILY POST, the Commander of the Amotekun Corps in Ogun State,
David Akinremi, said the situation is challenging, but not out of control.
Akinremi, a retired Commissioner of Police, told our correspondent
that the corps is doing its best to “checkmate the activities of the bad
guys.”
READ: Father, Children Arrested For Kidnapping in Ogun
“We are working on serious intelligence and we are taking the battle to
their doorstep,” Akinremi assured.
He said the kidnappers are
operating in the areas mentioned because most houses are still inside the bush
as many lands are yet to be developed.
“The places are just
developing, houses are within bushes and distanced from one another. The roads
are also not accessible. If you see one house, you will go 200, 300 or 500
metres before you see another one. Even when they are in crisis, there will be
little or no response from their neighbors who will alert security agents.
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“We are working with other security agents and we have written to the people
to be more alert and security conscious. It is not possible for security
agents to be everywhere. We are working on intel and very soon, we’ll get at
them,” he said.
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