Afenifere condemns incessant kidnapping in South-west

Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has expressed critical concern on the frequency of kidnap incidents within the South West, particularly on Lagos-Ibadan expressway in current occasions.

The organisation in a press assertion issued by its nationwide publicity secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi, said that the frequency and ferocity of kidnapping within the space as of late engender a lot concern relating to the territorial growth of terrorists and bandits.

Afenifere recalled the kidnapping that passed off close to Dominion College and Shagamu Interchange on Lagos-Ibadan expressway previously weeks. 

The victims included a former Deputy Vice Chancellor of the College of Ibadan, Oyo state, Professor Adigun Agbaje and 5 others. Agbaje was launched after cost of a ransom working into thousands and thousands of naira.

Studies additionally had it that the suspected Fulani bandits attacked vacationers on October 27, 2022, abducting 5 individuals and killing a number of others. Two days after, on October twenty ninth, seven bandits in Irele Ekiti-Oke Ako Freeway in Ajoni Native Council Growth Space, Ekiti State kidnapped 4 travellers.

One of many survivors of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway kidnapping, 22-year outdated Aminat Taiwo, mentioned the “kidnappers have been greater than 30; they coated their faces. They have been placing on military and police uniforms.” She later added that they shot victims whose family members couldn’t pay the demanded ransoms.

On Tuesday, November 8 this 12 months, gunmen wearing army uniforms once more attacked commuters travelling on Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

The gunmen reportedly stormed the street close to Sagamu Interchange Lagos and shot at passengers within the 18-passenger inter-state bus.

The organisation said that the reviews of the burning of the places of work of the Impartial Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC) in Abeokuta, Ogun State and Ede, Osun State on the weekend additionally disturbed it due to the implication it could have on the 2023 normal elections amongst others.

In keeping with the organisation, “unauthorized burning of any property is condemnable by all requirements. The truth that this kind of arson reared its head within the South West is unacceptable. It needs to be completely investigated and made to be the final of such occurrences. There needs to be no excuse in any way to place the 2023 normal elections in jeopardy.” 

Afenifere famous that the gunmen’s invasion of a Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo state in June this 12 months, the place some folks have been kidnapped, incidents of kidnapping on a farm close to Ipapo and on Okaka-Otu Street each in Oke ogun, in addition to those that passed off in Ibarapa space of Oyo state have been unacceptable.

“It could be recalled that the state of affairs has turn out to be so dire that marauders do even invade homes to choose victims. As an illustration, final Monday, a Catholic priest, Father Kunat and eight others have been kidnapped in separate assaults in Idon, Kajuru Native Authorities Space and in Oil Village, a suburb of Kaduna metropolis, positioned close to the Kaduna refinery.”

Afenifere due to this fact referred to as on the federal authorities to point out extra seriousness in tackling the issue of kidnapping “to stop Nigeria from changing into one other Afghanistan”.