BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
About six persons have been abducted in Osun State in two separate kidnappings that happened on Sunday and Monday.
The Point gathered that some gunmen abducted two commercial bus passengers at Tafia, a village under Esa-Oke, around Imesi-Ile, Obokun Local Government Area of the State on Sunday. The commercial vehicle was coming from Ekiti and going toward Ikirun through Ila road when the gunmen waylaid it
The gunmen shot severally to force the vehicle to stop before the passengers were whisked away.
Volunteers of Kiriji Heritage Defenders, Hunters’ Group and the Police have been combing the bushes around where the passengers were abducted.
On Monday, another vehicle was also ambushed by suspected Fulani herdsmen at Esa-Odo and four persons were abducted.
The Point learned that the kidnappers took the victims to the forest.
A traditional Chief in Imesi-Ile, Sunday Ojo Williams, who confirmed the kidnapping on Tuesday, said that an eyewitness had quickly informed the community and that the four victims were passersby.
Williams said, “The commuter vehicle got to Tafia at the outskirt of Imesi-Ile, actually it is a village under Esa-Oke, and there was nobody to help but an urchin who witnessed the scene ran into the Imesi-Ile community to raise an alarm, but because of the time the incident happened, it was too late to raise people for the search.
“So, Monday morning, a contingent of hunters and Kiriji Heritage volunteers stormed the area, combing the forest and they were fortunate to see where the kidnappers slept overnight, but they had left, because unfortunately they didn’t meet them there. So, when they were still combing the bush, the second kidnapping happened at Esa-Odo. That’s about 14 kilometers to Imesi-Ile; a village nearer Ijebu-Jesa and Ilare.
“They had to mobilise again to face that area as well. They were there until 11:30 in the evening of Monday and they tracked them down to a forest nearer Ijebu-Ere-Ijesa, that was where they held up for the night. At that point, the search party divided themselves into two; one, to ensure that they didn’t escape from that joint and as I am talking to you this morning (Tuesday), the manhunt is still going on there.”
He lamented bad roads in the community and its environs and said the poor state was aiding kidnappings.
He said, “Two people were taken on Sunday night around Tafia while four people were kidnapped on Monday at Esa-Odo by Fulani herdsmen. The fact that there is an inter-state road where these people (kidnappers) go in and out, makes the place vulnerable. The first kidnap happened at a stretch of road that is very bad and almost impassable. On this road, drivers have to halt in order to locate where their tyres will take. We have been appealing to Government for over two years construct that little stretch of road.
“I remember that there was a time when Kiriji Heritage Defenders brought about 15 tippers of granite to fill up the road so that people could pass without stopping, so that harm will not come their way. The road along Imesi-Ile has almost divided into two and we have been appealing to the Osun State Ministry of Works to come and fix it.”
Ademola Ekudayo, Director-General of Kiriji Heritage Defenders, also confirmed that hunters and other locals were already drafted to the forests to rescue the victims.
However, Osun State Police Command’s spokesperson, SP Yemisi Opalola, while confirming the incident and the rescue team combing the forest, added that only a passenger’s kidnap came to the notice of the command.
