Omu Aran, Kwara State (Nigeria): Frustrated by a surge in kidnappings and the government’s perceived inaction, hundreds of youths from Isanlu-Isin, Oke-Onigbin, and Edidi communities took to the streets on Saturday, blocking the Ilorin-Omu-Aran-Kabba highway in a dramatic protest that lasted for hours.
The youths, carrying placards with different inscriptions, blocked the highway with bonfires as early as 8:00 a.m., demanding government intervention to address insecurity in the communities.
Some of the inscriptions on the placards read: ‘Enough is Enough, ‘Stop Kidnapping our People, ‘We Demand Government Urgent Intervention, ‘Our people are dying in the hands of kidnappers, ‘We are tired of paying ransom without results.’
The protest resulted in a gridlock on both sides of the highway for hours.
Spokesman of the protesters and Odee of lsanlu isin, Chief Michael Ayanda, said that the incessant kidnappings had prevented them from going to their farms and embarking on other trading and commercial activities.
According to him, this spreads anxiety and hunger among the community members.
The protesters also condemned the nonresponsive attitude of security agencies and the government to their plight, despite several appeals through letters and visits to police formations and the government in Ilorin, the state capital.
Ayanda, who spoke to reporters at Eleyin Village, said the protest was to call the attention of the security agencies and the authorities to their plight.
He alleged that despite payment of ransoms running into millions of Naira, many of the kidnapped victims were yet to regain their freedom.
Ayanda also claimed that the whereabouts of no fewer than seven members of the community’s vigilante members, who volunteered to comb the forest to effect the release of their people, were still unknown.
“We have paid N30 million for two people who were kidnapped earlier, but they have yet to release them; they are asking for more money.
“Today, we have paid another N10 million for the release of seven kidnapped community members, but they have only released one person.
“The purpose of this protest is to let the concerned authorities and the whole world be aware of our plight, especially our government, to assist us to free our people and guarantee security of life and property,” he said.
The Chairman of Irepodun Local Government Area, Mr Azeez Yakubu, who addressed the protesters at Eleyin Village near Omu-Aran, appealed to the youth for calm and promised to pass their grievances to the authorities.
Also speaking, Mallam Ismaila Ahmed, the Serikin Fulani of Eleyin Village in Isin Local Government Area, said seven of their community members were still with the kidnappers after the collection of ransoms.
“Our people have become targets of the kidnappers in recent times. No fewer than eleven of our people are yet to regain their freedom, and we have paid N20 million to date,” he said.
Efforts to contact the Kwara Commissioner of Police, Mr Adekimi Ojo, were unsuccessful, as he did not answer calls.
However, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Rafiu Ajakaiye, pleaded with the youths to exercise patience as the state government was making efforts to curb the problem of insecurity in all parts of the state.
