Residents Charge Security Agencies, Gov On Quick Action
AKURE – Sudden rise in cases of kidnapping, killing and other crimes in Ondo State calls for concern and immediate actions by all security agencies and the state government as the state is currently under siege again….CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
The situation has worsened to the point that the perpetrators have become daring that they go to people’s homes and shops to abduct them without any resistance from security agents.
It first started with the killing of the Registrar of University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo, Mr. Ezekiel Adeniran, in broad daylight.
Adeniran assumed office as the substantive registrar of the institution on January 6, 2025 and was suspected to have been killed in his residence on July 17, 2025 in Ondo town.
As soon as this happened, Andrel Eloho Okah, a student of Department of History and International Studies in the Faculty of Art, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA) and John Friday Abba, a student at Department of Economics, Faculty of Agriculture of the same varsity, were abducted and later found dead in the forest.
When the university community was still battling with the shock, another student of the varsity, Joy Adeyemi of Department of Kinetics was found dead in her room. Her body was already decomposing. It was suspected that she was killed by a fleeing boyfriend.
In quick succession, the Faculty Officer of Faculty of Education of the University, Mr. Omoniyi Eleyinmi, was abducted right in his sitting room at Supare-Akoko when he just returned from work.
A drug law enforcement agent was also killed in Ondo town where about 15 suspects have been declared wanted by the police in May.
Some farmers were also abducted on their farm by gunmen who stormed the state.
This was followed by another shop owner at Ogbese, one Mrs. Orogun, who was kidnapped right in her shop about 8:30p.m.
One of her customers, a man, was shot dead by the gunmen.
The Ogbese incident led to angry reaction by the residents as they barricaded the busy Akure/ Owo road used by interstate travellers for several hours.
Motorists were forced to make a detour as a number of them abandoned the journey while some took bush paths.
Youths in their hundreds complained of sudden return of kidnappings and killings in the state, reeling out series of kidnap cases and killings in the state, especially in July and the abduction of the female shop owner in the community on Friday.
A youth leader, who led the protesters, simply identified as Justina, accused the government and security agencies of neglecting the community.
Justina disclosed that it’s the youth of the town that are providing protection for the people as security agencies are indifferent to security of life and property in the community.
It remains a mystery to the people of the state why a state that had a recess from kidnapping incidents and other heinous crimes for about a month between May and June, suddenly became haven of the perpetrators who fled the state during the period.
Our correspondent noticed with dismay while returning from Lagos on August 4, 2025, the upsurge in the number of police checkpoints between the boundary of Ogun State and Ore.
An observer said that “it should be noted that kidnappers use forests as their hideouts and among kidnappers arrested so far in the state, none has been arrested while driving on the road.”
According to the police, the woman, who was abducted at Ogbese in Akure North Local Government Area, was driving a Honda Accord to Akure while the other vehicle used by the gunmen drove towards Owo.
At the time of filing this report, no one has been arrested in connection with the incident.
Observers are concerned about the performances of the police in the recent time in the state. They noted that the only service the police render is to give the people how the gunmen operated while they remain at large.
Some of the suspects they arrested raised questions, particularly the sudden death of the prime suspect, Oladele, a.k.a Tallex, in the abduction of Andrel Eloho Okah, and John Friday Abba, the two students of AAUA who were found dead.
Although the spokesman to the state Police Command said: “Following his arrest, the suspect (Oladele) had been in and out of the hospital under close medical supervision and was receiving adequate care before he died in the early hours of yesterday,” the students union of the institution demanded the display of the body of the suspect.
Andrel Eloho Okah was a student of Department of History and International Studies in the Faculty of Art, while John Friday Abba was a student at the Department of Economics, Faculty of Agriculture of the varsity.
The killing of NDLEA agent by a drug peddler in a cross-fire revealed that drug peddlers who had fled the town after serious manhunt by the police in May have returned to the town.
They are also querying the essence of the 26 checkpoints between the boundary of Ogun State (Ajebamidele) and Ore.
Unfortunately, observers noted that the checkpoints were mere extortion points and nothing is being checked except when they sight a new car.
One of them said: “It has not been reported that police handed over to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) any vehicle imported without appropriate documents with the owner.”
The people of the state are also calling on the new Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, to live to his promise to keep the state safe from kidnappers and other criminals.
They noted that he inherited a state that was enjoying relative peace and freedom from kidnappers and other terrible criminals.
Some of the observers said they are tired of the police usual statement that the Commissioner of Police has directed all tactical commanders to the scene of the incidents.
Though some called on the state government to give more support to all security agencies in the state, particularly Ondo State Security Network, otherwise known as Amotekun Corps, for improved performance, a number of them differed, saying if the security situation in the state was relatively peaceful when the Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, took over, then he should have leveraged the tactics and architecture employed by his predecessor.
They, therefore, demanded a change in the approach of the command to tackling crimes, suggesting that those men deployed to checkpoints on Ajebamidele/Ore Road should be redeployed to the forests where the criminals hibernate.
Protesters said the police should be proactive in its operations rather than looking for the perpetrators after their successful operations.
Ransoms are being collected in millions by these criminals, but the police always distanced themselves from the negotiation and collection. But it’s a reality that the family, friends and associates of the victims source for funds to secure the freedom of their relations who are in the captivity of the gunmen.
A cursory look at the chronicle of kidnapping and killing incidents in the state from July till date shows that Ondo State is seriously under attacks by gunmen.
This demands quick and decisive action by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa before the state is turned to a pariah state by criminals….CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
