Afenifere worried over kidnappings in Lagos, Ekiti bank attack

The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural and political organization, Afenifere, has called on the Federal Government and security agencies to rise up to combat the rising cases of insecurity, particularly kidnapping, in recent times.

The call was contained in a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the body, Comrade Jare Ajayi at the weekend.

He further enjoined the FG to urgently address the ‘political, economic and ideological factors’ identified by the spokesman of the Department of State Security, DSS, Mr Peter Afunaya, as being responsible for recurrent incidences of kidnapping and banditry.

According to Afenifere, the call became imperative in view of rising kidnap cases in Lagos, Ogun, Kwara and some other parts of the country.

Newspot recalls that armed robbers attacked two commercial banks in Ikere, Ekiti State Wednesday last, leading to the death of three Amotekun security personnel.

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Mr Taiwo Oyekanmi, a director of finance, Ogun State, was similarly murdered on November 29, 2023 in Abeokuta by armed robbers who went away with millions of naira meant for government workers.

Similarly, seven people were kidnapped while one person was killed on Monday at Fidiwo on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

This came in the wake of the kidnap of Miracle Adereti Kolawole, a 13-year-old student by an unknown gang while returning home from school on Friday, December 1st, 2023 in Ikotun area of Lagos as confirmed by Afonka Police Station in Egbeda, Alimosho, Lagos, which immediately assigned Inspector Ogidiolu Olajimi to lead the investigation and rescue efforts.

Towards the end of October, sundry abductions took place in Ikotun, Okota, Ejigbo, Alimosho, Egbeda, Agege, Amuwo Odofin areas of Lagos according to published reports.

Ajayi stated that the Ikere-Ekiti banks robbery, like other banditry, was condemnable adding that it probably would not have happened if necessary security steps had been taken.

“To use the Ikere Ekiti incident as an example, the disclosure by Mr. Femi Ekundayo, national president of Ikere Development Forum (IDF) that the State and the Federal Government left the whole of Ikere local government area without any functional police station since arsonists burnt down the two divisional police stations in the town during the #ENDSARS protest in 2020 has not been refuted.

“This was largely responsible for how the gang could operate at the two banks in broad daylight without being challenged.”

“He went on to state that after the kidnap incidents on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in 2022 where former Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Adigun Agbaje among others were victims, governors of Ogun and Oyo States including security agencies assured citizens that the highway would be secured.

“It is therefore a matter of serious concern that a few weeks into the yuletide period, commuters on the highway have to travel with trepidation for fear of being attacked.”