Scores of kidnapping incidents have been successfully carried out along Auga-Akoko road (Ondo State) which connects that stretch of the Southwest to the Federal Capital Territory and other northern parts of the nation. HAKEEM GBADAMOSI examines the reasons for incessant abductions in the area, the frustration of motorists and the constant fear of residents of Auga-Akoko.
The sleepy Auga-Akoko community in Akoko North-East Local Government Area of Ondo State has been in the news over the frequent abductions of residents and motorists. The Auga road that connects Akokoland to Abuja and other Northern parts of the country has become a notorious spot for kidnapping in the state, while the road has been a nightmare for residents and travellers. Series of abduction are recorded on a daily basis on this particular stretch of the federal road in the town, where kidnappers usually wait for their victims, before whisking them into the deep forest for ransom.
As of the last count, no fewer than 15 abductions had been carried out by hoodlums along Auga road. With the reported cases of kidnapping in this area, residents of the community and motorists plying this area are in fear; residents of the area who are farmers no longer attend to their farmlands.
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Victims of kidnapping in the area cut across varying professions and the kidnappers major interest lies in the demand of ransom. The criminals’ mode of operation is usually similar; they are always armed with sophisticated weapons, donning either police or army uniforms and motorists are usually forced to stop when they see the uniformed hoodlums.
Most of the victims who have fallen prey to the hoodlums claim that those behind the dastardly act are herdsmen. This has, however, been affirmed by residents of Auga-Akoko community, who allege that a number of these herdsmen who understand the terrain live within the community but they cannot distinguish between those perpetrating the crimes from the herdsmen who reside in the area.
Despite measures put in place by security operatives and the government in the area, kidnapping still thrives around Auga-Akoko. While some victims are lucky to leave the kidnappers’ den alive after payment of ransom, other victims have lost their lives. Some are still in the captivity of kidnappers, with their fate hanging in the balance.
Wife of the traditional ruler of Auga-Akoko, Olori Olukemi Agunloye, was a victim of kidnapping. She was kidnapped along with the palace driver, between Auga-Akoko road and Ise Akoko, while travelling to her hometown in Ugbe Akoko. The abduction of the wife of the traditional ruler, Oba Samuel Agunloye, by the gunmen threw the entire community and Ondo State into confusion.
The abductors of Olori Agunloye were said to have laid an ambush for the vehicle in which she was travelling, stopped the vehicle and immediately dragged her and the driver into a waiting vehicle.
However, the queen and the driver regained their freedom and reunited with their family after spending four days in the captivity of their abductors. They were said to have been exposed to all forms of ill treatment. They were not released without parting with ransom. Through communal effort, N5 million was raised and paid to the abductors as ransom.
Just a few days after her the Olori’s abduction, the hoodlums struck again, abducting two brothers who are businessmen. The two men, Alhaji Busari Olusa and Saka Olusa, were travelling in a private vehicle when the hoodlums stopped them and dragged them into the bush, leaving their sport utility vehicle on the road.
An official of the Universal Basic Education Board, Mr. Femi Adesote, was also kidnapped by four gun-wielding men in that particular spot in Auga-Akoko. The victim, who was returning home from Abuja, was with his aged father who had been sick and was taken to Abuja for medical attention. The gunmen, who whisked Adesote into the bush, left his sister and father, asking them to contact their family to arrange for ransom.
Adesote was said to regain his freedom some days later, but not without paying the kidnappers; the ransom paid for the release of the UBE official was not disclosed.
The abduction of three wedding guests along Auga-Ikare road by six gunmen while travelling to Ikare Akoko to attend a marriage ceremony raised much concern from all stakeholders from Akoko community, who frowned on the failure of relevant authorities and agencies to attend to the menace.
The three men, who were said to be travelling in two vehicles, were abducted on the same spot where Olori Agunloye, and her driver were kidnapped; between Auga and Ise Akoko. The kidnappers, however, spared the wife of one of the victims and her two children, as they were expected to report the incident for possible negotiation for ransom.
This development, however, elicited reactions from the people of the area who have condemned the spate of abductions. Many Auga-Akoko residents, who spoke with Nigerian Tribune, attributed the development in the area to the influx of Fulani herdsmen into the state, especially the Auga community.
A resident, Olaniyi Olanimoko, said the people of the community had ignored the influx of Fulanis into the community, who have settled in the area gradually, and have outnumbered the original landowners. He, however, noted that “there is nothing wrong in accommodating them to encourage development, but their presence seems to have negatively affected development of our community, disrupting the peace we used to enjoy here.”
“Many of the victims have attested to it that these organised hoodlums are of Fulani extraction, who have formed syndicates across the forest here. They now understand the terrain better than us.”
Another resident, Bayo Adelanwa, described the act as criminal and called on the state government and the police to find a lasting solution to the crime.
He said kidnapping would continue to thrive as long as the family of the victims kept paying ransom, adding that “the sad thing about this is that no one will want his/her family member to die in the custody of these evil men.”
Adelanwa opined that the Fulani herdsmen had been given too much freedom in the community, and claimed that the hoodlums had taken advantage of the presence of herdsmen in the community to perpetrate evil.
He said the recent arrest of kidnappers by the men of the state police command confirmed that the kidnappers were of Fulani extraction.
Two brothers, Abdulmumini Muhammadu and Sehidu Muhammadu, who hail from Nasarawa State, were arrested and they confessed to their involvement in a series of kidnappings in Auga-Akoko axis, but said they were forced to join the group as their business was no longer lucrative.
Abdulmumini, aged 40, was a herder before joining the kidnap gang. He confessed to the crime, and said he was forced out of business over lack of finance to run the business. He confessed to participating in three kidnaps since he joined the group and was paid N100,000 as proceeds for the first one, while he made N30,000 from the second, but had not been paid for the third before his arrest.
He said the police were able to arrest them because they were not armed and listed the other members of the gang as Abdullahi Sanni, aged 33 and from Kogi State; Mohammed Abdullahi, aged 36 and from Sokoto State; Umoru Usman, aged 25 from Kebbi and Sheu Usman, aged 25 from Niger State.
“I want to plead with the police to forgive us because it was a mistake. I could not leave the gang since I joined the group for fear of being killed,” he said.
The victim, Prince Omoghae Igbegbon of Benin City, Edo State, while narrating his experience with the kidnappers, explained that the kidnappers have formed a syndicate across the state with over 200 camps between Akoko and Owo axis of the state.
According to him, the hoodlums are well organised and live in the forest and under rocks, but keep their victims in the open fields.
He said: “I was stopped by about six men while coming from Kogi State. They dragged me into the bush and we walked in the bush for two days. The men knew every area in the forest and they were heavily armed and well equipped.”
The traditional ruler of Auga, Oba Agunloye, described the recent development in the area as disturbing and lamented over the rate of crime in the area. He called on the Federal Government to save the community and Akokoland from the activities of the kidnappers.
He said: “We have called on the Federal Government many times to save us from these bandits, because they are using the advantage of these bad roads to perpetrate their heinous crimes.
“The condition of the roads is nothing to write home about. A contractor come some time, but to our surprise, the contractors carried out some works and left the site, causing more damages on the road and the kidnappers have taken advantage of the bad spots on the road.
“My wife and driver were abducted around these bad spots and I had to pay N5 million as ransom to secure their freedom after four days with the kidnappers.
“We informed the lawmaker representing this senatorial district about the state of the road, but nothing was done. We are calling on the state and Federal Governments to come to our aid before the kidnappers turn our community into something else. We want the Federal Government to mobilise contractors to site and repair or reconstruct this road, because the kidnappers are taking advantage of the bad roads.”
He said for kidnapping and other criminal activities to be reduced, the Nigerian Army and the police should be involved. He also called for the establishment of a police outpost in the area, adding that the Ipele-Isua-Auga Akunu-Kabba federal highway needed to be rehabilitated for free flow of vehicles.
Speaking on the efforts of the state government to curb the activities of the kidnappers, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the governor, Mr. Segun Ajiboye, said the state governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, has declared total war on kidnappers and other criminals in the state, with a promise to bring an end to the menace and ensure security of life and property.
Ajiboye said the governor had met with all the security agencies in the state to put an end to kidnapping. He disclosed that the security agencies had established synergy among themselves, noting that this led to the arrest of about five hoodlums in the forest.
He, however, assured that the activities of kidnappers would be a thing of the past in the state, saying “the state government will not fold its arms and allow the hoodlums to operate unhindered.”
The state Commissioner of Police, Undie Adie, said as part of efforts to curb criminal activities and kidnapping in the state, the command recently launched ‘Operation Puff Adder’, which was aimed at flushing out kidnappers from the state.
He disclosed that a special task force had been put in place which led to the arrest of about 10 kidnappers in their hideouts across the state. The police boss also said successful operations and raids against bandits and kidnappers in the state were forcing the criminals out of the state.
He said the police had already established synergy with other security agencies in the state to address the rising spate of kidnapping and armed robbery.
He commended the state government for its assistance and called on members of the public not to hesitate to provide information on any strange movement or activities in their area to assist the security agencies tackle the challenges of insecurity in the state.
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