How I escaped kidnap by suspected militants —Ogun LCDA boss

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8 years ago

THE Chairman of the Ogun Waterside East LCDA, Alhaji Abajo Musa Olabode, has revealed that immediately after the conclusion of the recently held Ode-Omi Day Festival in Ode-Omi town in Ogun State, suspected militants stormed the town in a bid to kidnap him and some notable sons and daughters of the town.

This is even as the LCDA boss revealed that the militants are currently camped on an island located between Makun-Omi and Ode-Omi town known as Igbeyin Island.

Speaking to the Tribune Online exclusively after the Ode-Omi Day ceremony, which held during the Easter break, the Ogun Waterside East LCDA Chairman explained that he had to leave the town hurriedly after the conclusion of the ceremony.

According to him, “After the Ode-Omi Day celebration, the soldiers that had arrived the town on the eve of the Good Friday left. This left the town vulnerable to attacks even though we did not know the militants will come that same day.

“However, by almost midnight of the same day that the Ode-Omi Day was concluded, words reached me that some movements were being observed around the river fronts. Some of my friends quickly called me that some speed boats were approaching the town in neck breaking speed.

“I had to leave Ode-Omi town exactly 12am on Sunday that is the midnight preceding the day we celebrated Ode-Omi Day. I was smuggled out of the town.

“I later heard the militants went straight to the venue of the Ode-Omi Day ceremony, and also combed the town for me and other notable sons and daughters of the town that had come for the celebration heard they fired shots in the air, killing one Dauda Adeleke, aka Omolope, in the process.”

When asked if he had reported to the police, he showed our Correspondent Save Our Soul (SOS) letters dated April 6, 2017, addressed to the Ogun State government and security agencies on the nefarious activities of suspected militants in and around Ogun Waterside communities.

In his words, “As the Chairman of the LCDA, I have written many letters to the Ogun State government, Police, SSS on this issue. The letters are dated April 6, 2017. However, up till now, noting has been done.

“They only dispatched military presence to Ode-Omi town during the Ode-Omi Day celebration. But the soldiers have since left and the people are vulnerable to attacks again.

“We need the permanent stationing of a Joint Task Force (JTF) team in and around Ogun Waterside communities. We need them to patrol the waterways. Our people are being killed and nothing is being done.”