Metro

Insecurity: Protesters Barricade Akure-Owo Highway With Kidnap Victim’s Corpse

Published

2 months ago

March 11, 2026

Vehicular movement along the busy Akure-Owo highway came to a standstill yesterday as residents of Ilu-Abo and adjoining communities in Akure North Local Council of Ondo State barricaded the road with the corpse of a kidnap victim.

While protesting against the deteriorating security situation within the axis, which borders the Akure Airport, the residents lamented that they could no longer cope with the heightened insecurity in the area, which led to incessant killings and kidnappings in the past few months.

The protesters, who recovered the remains of a middle-aged man killed by suspected kidnappers, prevented the free flow of traffic, leading to gridlock along the highway connecting the southern parts of the country with the North.

On Monday, the secretary of Okeluju Local Council Development Area under Akoko North West Local Council was kidnapped in his farm along with two others.

According to the protesting youths, they would not allow vehicular movement along the road until the government addresses the insecurity rocking communities in Akure North.

The residents, armed with various placards, said they could neither go to the farm nor sleep because of the incessant kidnapping in the communities. They asked the government to help them tackle the insecurity ravaging their areas.

Some of the inscriptions on the placards included “We Are Dying, Save Our Soul”, “Mr Governor, Please Assist Us” and “Our Children Are in Danger and We Cannot Go to Farms Again”.

The protesters insisted that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa must address them to assuage their concerns.

Despite the intervention of the Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, who persuaded the residents to allow free flow of traffic, the protesting residents insisted that they would not vacate the road as their lives were in danger every time.

Lawal pleaded with the residents that the security agencies, including the State Security Network codenamed Amotekun and the police, would ensure the safety of lives and property, by beefing up security in the communities.

The police boss also visited the monarch of Ilu-Abo, Oba Olu Falae, and told him about the efforts being made by security agencies to curb insecurity in the town, promising to deploy additional policemen and tactical units to check insecurity.

Meanwhile, twenty-four hours after the abduction of the Secretary of Okeluju Local Council Development Area (LCDA) under Akoko North West Local Council of Ondo State, Joseph Aladesuyi, the kidnappers have established contact with the family, demanding N100 million for his release.

Family sources revealed that the kidnappers reached out to the family through a telephone call about 7.00am yesterday and left no room for negotiation after the demand.

Aladesuyi, who is the Managing Director of Jotina Farms, was abducted on Monday morning in his farm along with two others in the Kajola axis of the Ilu-Abo community in Akure North Local Council of the state near the Akure Airport.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a family member described the last 24 hours as a period of intense anxiety for the family, particularly because the council secretary was shot in his hand during the invasion of his farm.

“The kidnappers called this morning. They asked us to bring N100 million before they would release him. They spoke very shortly and hastily during the call, and they did not even allow us to say much.

“We have been very worried since Monday, but but the call has given us hope. We are still expecting that they will call because the money is a whole lot. How do we raise that amount as a family?

“Our concern is more about his health at the moment because we were made to understand that when they (kidnappers) arrived on the farm, he was shot in one of his hands while they were dragging him,” the family source stated.

Meanwhile, residents of the Ilu-Abo community have been thrown into heightened fear following the incessant and unabated killings and kidnappings within the axis by gunmen in the past weeks, lamenting over the deteriorating security situation as well as the continued silence on the part of the government.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, directed that all operational and intelligence resources be deployed to ensure the safe rescue of the victims and the apprehension of the suspects.

“Security operatives along with unconventional security outfits are combing nearby forests and surrounding communities as part of ongoing efforts to track down the perpetrators,” Jimoh stated.

Metro

Gunmen Kidnap Businessman In Ibadan

Published

1 day ago

May 4, 2026

Editor

Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted a 60-year-old man in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The victim was kidnapped on Saturday while on his way to his residence.

The incident occurred at Jinarere, Alakia in Ibadan.

Public Relations Officer of the State Police command, Olayinka Ayanlade, when contacted, confirmed the incident.

Ayanlade in a statement made available to DAILY POST on Sunday, explained that efforts are ongoing to rescue the victim.

Ayanlade said, “Preliminary information reveals that the victim, a 60-year-old male and building materials trader, was accosted while returning home along the Jinarere axis of Alakia Road by four masked armed men, who forcefully whisked him away in an unregistered ash-coloured Toyota Corolla vehicle”.

Metro

Tragedy As Suspected Kidnappers Kill Young Entrepreneur In Edo

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2026

Editor

A 30-year-old entrepreneur and CEO of Principle Takeout, Justice Abu Oshioke, has been killed by suspected kidnappers in Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State.

He was reportedly attacked by the suspected kidnappers on Saturday while on his way to pick up an order made for his child’s dedication on Sunday morning.

Eyewitnesses said the attackers attempted to force him into a nearby bush in a kidnapping attempt. However, he reportedly resisted and tried to escape.

In the course of the struggle, the assailants opened fire, shooting him multiple times.

Concerned residents quickly rushed him to a nearby medical facility, but he was confirmed dead on arrival.

The deceased was said to have recently gotten married and welcomed a baby boy.

The tragic event has turned a joyous occasion into a moment of grief for the family.

The shocking development has left the Ekpoma community in deep sorrow, with many residents expressing outrage over the growing insecurity in the area.

Edo State Police Command’s spokesperson, Eno Ikoedem confirmed the incident and said the Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika has ordered a “full-scale investigation and intensified manhunt for those responsible.”

According to her, the Police, in collaboration with the military, local vigilantes, and hunters, are actively pursuing the perpetrators through coordinated operations.

Metro

Grandfathers Arrested For Drug Trafficking

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2026

Editor

Two grandfathers, aged 83 and 78, are among several suspects apprehended by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in a fresh nationwide crackdown on illicit drug trafficking.

Pa John Ofiel, 83, was arrested on Tuesday, 28 April during a raid in the Aba region of Abia State.

The NDLEA said that operatives acting on credible intelligence recovered 700 grams of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis already packaged into retail sachets.

The octogenarian, who claimed to be a professional shoemaker allegedly confessed to delving into the illicit trade.

In Ekiti State on Thursday 30 April 78 year old Ogunjobi Samuel was detained at his residence in Ilupeju-Ekiti where officers seized 350 grams of cannabis from him, identifying him as a local peddler.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, (CCEO), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (Rtd), commended the various state commands for their drug supply reduction efforts.

He urged officers to maintain the current momentum, balancing enforcement with the agency’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities.
The enforcement drive also led to the arrest of a notorious drug dealer in Oyo State Taofik Adeyemi, 49.

He was apprehended on Saturday, 2 May, at his residence in Ibadan after months of evading the authorities.

He was caught alongside his salesman, Mustapha Oyerinde, with 3.085kg of cannabis and a getaway vehicle.

Across other states, the NDLEA recorded significant seizures including over 140,000 pills and capsules of Tramadol intercepted in separate operations targeting transit routes from Damaturu to Hadejia.

A raid on Awolowo Market in Mushin area of Lagos state resulted in the recovery of 740kg of cannabis while in Kaduna, two suspects were caught on the Abuja-Jos highway with 290kg of compressed cannabis concealed in a Honda Ridgeline.

A 65-year-old driver was intercepted at the Ile-Ife toll gate in Osun state conveying skunk and methamphetamine, leading to a follow up arrest of the consignment’s owner in Ilesha.

In line with it’s mandate, the NDLEA continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy, holding enlightenment lectures for students, Islamic schools, and commercial motorcyclists in Niger, Kano, Anambra, and Lagos states.

The NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, noted that the agency remains committed to “cleansing the streets” of both notorious distributors and those who use age as a shield for criminal activity.