…Seeks security summit, regional action
—Shares ordeals in Kidnappers’ den
National Youth President of Afenifere, Prince Eniola Ojajuni, has raised the alarm over the rising wave of kidnappings by Fulani herdsmen in Southwest Nigeria, calling for urgent and decisive intervention to address the growing insecurity in the region.
Having endured 12 harrowing days in captivity, Ojajuni during a press conference, recounted his ordeal and urged the government to take immediate action to curb the menace.
Ojajuni was abducted on February 17, 2025 while travelling near Akunu Akoko in Ondo State on his way to Abuja.
Starnews NG reported that armed Fulani herdsmen, dressed in military uniforms, ambushed his vehicle close to a military checkpoint, riddling it with bullets.
He sustained two gunshot wounds, one of which narrowly missed his spinal cord, while other passengers also suffered injuries before they were forcibly taken away.
Describing his time in captivity as horrifying, he revealed that he was subjected to relentless physical abuse, including being beaten 72 times daily.
He also witnessed fellow captives, particularly women, being brutally mistreated.
He noted that the kidnappers, wielding more than 20 AK-47 rifles, operated with coordination and alarming precision. Using his phone, they tracked communications, negotiated ransoms, and monitored social media while blocking certain contacts to avoid detection.
According to Ojajuni, the criminals have established numerous well-coordinated camps across the Southwest to facilitate their operations. Ondo State has 27 camps, Ekiti has 16, Osun has seven, while Ogun has five.
He disclosed that his ransom was initially meant to be paid in Ikare but was later moved to Ibilo after the abductors realised security forces were tracking them.
Expressing concern over the Ondo State Government’s handling of the situation, he called on the Southwest Governors’ Forum to urgently convene a regional security summit with youth representatives.
He stressed the need for a Southwest Youth Security Network, in collaboration with the Inspector General of Police and the Nigeria Forest Guards Team, to enhance intelligence gathering, strengthen community surveillance, and ensure swift response to security threats.
He further pledged to provide firsthand intelligence gained during his captivity to aid in dismantling the criminal networks.
Ojajuni also warned that the kidnappers had boasted about plans to escalate abductions in Ondo and Lagos States, citing their well-hidden camps in these areas.
He revealed that their operations had already extended to major highways, including Sagamu–Ijebu Ode Road, near Oso-Sa Ijebu, weeks before his own abduction.
He described these revelations as a wake-up call for security agencies and state governments, stressing that failure to act swiftly would put more lives at risk.
He commended the resilience of his fellow captives, including a driver and another victim identified as Garuba (Dongo).
He expressed deep concern for two women who suffered severe abuse and are still undergoing medical treatment. One of the victims, Mrs Ramota, hails from Okitipupa in Ondo State but is originally from Kwara.
The second abductee, taken from Abuja, is still recovering, and efforts are ongoing to verify her condition.
He also extended his solidarity to the seven men and two women kidnapped alongside him, insisting that their suffering must not be in vain but should serve as a catalyst for urgent security reforms.
Ojajuni called on the Federal Government to act decisively by deploying more security personnel to high-risk areas, establishing additional checkpoints along highways and forest borders, and intensifying intelligence-gathering efforts.
He urged immediate security operations across forests in Edo, Ondo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, Ibilo, and Lagos States to dismantle the kidnappers’ hideouts and criminal networks.
He also advocated for a regional security network in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Forest Guards to address the worsening insecurity.
While commending the Inspector General of Police for launching an intelligence-driven rescue operation and acknowledging the swift intervention of the Nigeria Forest Team, he maintained that more needed to be done to safeguard citizens.
He stressed that Nigerians should not have to live in fear and insisted that the time for action is now. Calling for accountability from leaders, he urged citizens to demand immediate solutions to the deepening security crisis threatening the Southwest and beyond.
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