More than 10 farm workers escape as gunmen abduct four in Oke-Ogun

Gunmen abducted four workers while no fewer than 10 others escaped at a farm settlement in the Okaka area in Itesiwaju Local Government Area of Oyo State at the weekend.

The gunmen, according to an eyewitness account, stormed the settlement midday on Saturday and scared passersby and other people in the neighbourhood with sporadic shootings. 

The workers were caught unawares noting the series of kidnap cases that had taken place in the area in the past.

The gunmen, according to our source, dressed in army camouflage and threatened to shoot and kill any of the affected farmhands who failed to cooperate.

However, while the shooting which lasted for several hours was going on, some of the workers managed to escape while others were caught.

The gunmen who were armed with sophisticated weapons escaped with four farmers whose whereabouts are yet to be ascertained as of the time of filing this report.

Also, the gunmen are yet to establish contact with the relations of the abductees.

Speaking on the incident, the Chairman of the Farm Settlement Association, one Mr Adepoju, who decried the incident disclosed that security operatives are on the trail of the gunmen.

”It is very unfortunate that this is now happening in our area. The government asked us to farm and we are on the farm, the next thing is for kidnappers to snatch us like chickens.

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“Those kidnappers came with sophisticated weapons that our Amotekun men do not have. I salute the bravery of our security men because when they were pursuing the men in army camouflage, we could hear the difference in the firepower of the kidnappers as different from that of our local vigilante and Amotekun men.”

The re-occurring cases of kidnap in the area has given the residents, especially the farmers sleepless nights.

They submitted that if the situation persists it may lead to scarcity of foodstuffs and skyrocketing prices in the market as farmers may be forced to remain indoors.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Adewale Osifeso said the investigation is going on.

His words: “The incident was reported to have happened along Ipapo/Okaka road under Itesiwaju LGA along Oke-Ogun axis at the early hours of Saturday 08/10/2022. Investigation is ongoing and updates would be provided accordingly, please.”

Meanwhile, the Oyo State government has deployed a security team to Ipapo/Iseyin axis in the Oyo North Senatorial District following the abduction, just as it appealed to the people of area to be calm. 

In a statement on Sunday, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Honourable Adeniyi Adebisi, said a security team comprising police and the military had been dispatched to support the existing security architecture in the area. 

He stated that though the ugly incident happened outside the state farm settlement (Ipapo/ Iseyin), the government prioritises the protection of life and properties of every resident of the state, farmers inclusive. 

According to the statement, which was signed by the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr Wasiu Olatubosun, the government “pledges to take every step to safely return those abducted to their loved ones.”