By: Sunday Ameh
Tension gripped parts of Akure, the capital of Ondo State, on Tuesday morning as angry residents staged a protest over a fresh kidnapping attack that reportedly left one person dead and three others abducted.
The protest occurred along the busy Akure–Owo Airport Road at the Ilu-Abo community, where residents barricaded the highway with logs of wood, tyres and other objects, bringing vehicular movement to a standstill for several hours.
Eyewitnesses said the latest incident happened late Monday night when heavily armed men invaded the community, firing sporadically and causing panic among residents before abducting three persons.
During the attack, one of the victims was reportedly shot and later died from gunshot wounds, while the gunmen fled with three others to an unknown destination.
Angered by the development, residents took to the streets early Tuesday, displaying the lifeless body of the victim while chanting protest songs and demanding urgent intervention from the government to address the growing insecurity in the area.
The protest came less than 24 hours after the reported abduction of a local government official near the Akure Airport axis, further heightening fears among residents over the worsening security situation around the corridor.
A resident who spoke with journalists during the protest lamented that kidnapping had become frequent around the airport road, accusing the government of failing to adequately protect lives and property.
“We are tired of this situation. Almost every day we hear about kidnapping around the airport road. Yesterday, a council secretary was kidnapped and today one person has been killed while three others have been taken away,” the resident said.
Another protester said the demonstration was aimed at drawing the attention of authorities to the plight of the community.
Motorists and commuters travelling along the Akure–Owo expressway were stranded for hours as the protest caused heavy traffic on the route.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Adebowale Lawal, visited the scene and appealed to the protesters to allow the free flow of traffic, assuring them that security agencies would intensify efforts to curb criminal activities in the area.
Lawal said the police, alongside the Ondo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun Corps) and other security operatives, would deploy additional personnel and tactical units to strengthen security around the affected communities.
The police commissioner also visited the traditional ruler of Ilu-Abo, Oba Olu Falae, to brief him on steps being taken to address the situation.
The latest incident has further raised concerns over the rising wave of kidnappings and violent crimes around the Akure Airport axis and neighbouring rural communities in Ondo State.
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