Youths, Residents Protest Rising Kidnappings, Killings in Ondo Communities

Residents and young people from the communities of Imafon, Igushin, and Ilado in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State staged a protest on Saturday over the increasing cases of abduction and murder in the area.

The demonstrators, carrying tree branches, blocked the ShopRite Junction, located a short distance from the Governor’s Office. They stated that the relentless attacks had continued to throw the communities into grief.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, gunmen killed a poultry farmer and her daughter in Igushin on Thursday, while two other individuals were rescued by the police. The following day, armed men struck Ilado community, where they attacked a young man with machetes and shot him as he attempted to flee from being kidnapped.

A youth leader who gave his name as Kunle told journalists that armed criminals had been operating freely across the state, particularly in and around Akure. He said the protest was prompted by the daily killings and abductions occurring in the three communities. He cited the recent deaths of a mother and her daughter, as well as the brutal assault on a young man.

The youth leader called on the state government to take its responsibilities seriously, expressing frustration that residents had seen no evidence of the monthly security votes allocated to the state. He said the community was exhausted from burying victims every week while security personnel appeared to do little. He questioned the use of security funds, noting the absence of patrols or visible security presence in the state capital.

He added that the residents would continue their protest until the government took concrete steps to protect lives and property.