ABIODUN NEJO writes about how another high-profile kidnapping in Ekiti State has raised questions about whether the government and the security agencies have a handle on the security situation in the state
The recent abduction of the Chairman, All Progressives Congress, Ekiti State chapter, Paul Omotoso, and two others from his vehicle by gunmen along Imesi Ekiti, Agbado Ekiti road, has once again exposed the dire state of security in the state.
According to details of the attack, the kidnappers shot at one of the tyres of the APC chairman’s vehicle, before dragging him and the two others into a waiting Toyota Hilux van. They regained their freedom after five days.
Although lips remain sealed as to whether they paid ransoms or not, sources have claimed that the kidnappers had called and demanded a N20m ransom fee. However, the Police Commissioner, Dare Ogundare, who recently broke the news of the release, did not mention anything about a ransom.
Ogundare, in a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, Sunday Abutu, said, “Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the kidnapping and are supplying useful information that could lead to the arrest of the prime suspects who are currently at large.”
The kidnap of the APC stalwart also got the attention of the state governor, Biodun Oyebanji, who directed the police, Department of State Services, and Amotekun Corps to leave no stone unturned in their search for the kidnappers.
According to Oyebanji, insecurity in the state had been on a downward trend before the incident. He described the kidnap incident as very troubling and disturbing, and said, “Our government will continue to step up efforts to tighten the noose on those who are occasionally terrorising Ekiti State through senseless kidnapping and make them face serious resistance.”
Insecurity has been a huge concern for the new governor of the state, who upon assumption of office in October last year, committed to ensuring that the state becomes a place where individuals can live, invest, and work peaceably.
In April, following a resurgence of kidnapping activity in some parts of the state, he expressed concern over the spate of insecurity and called on local governments and council development areas to synergise efforts with the state government and security agencies to curb the menace.
Speaking at a meeting with some LG chiefs, Oyebanji said, “I heard that kidnappers are resurfacing in some areas, we must sit down as a community and as a government to ensure that we don’t allow it to happen because where there is no security, people will run away from such a place.”
At a recent presentation of staff to the Onikoyi of Ikoyi Ekiti, Oba Akinwande Ogundana, the governor appealed to traditional rulers to partner with the state government to tackle insecurity.
According to him, the government needs to collaborate with monarchs if they are to tame insecurity in the state. He added that a concerted, cohesive, and stronger united front was required to tame the occasional kidnappings and killings besieging the state.
Despite the best efforts of the state to curb insecurity, Ekiti is still yet to shake off its tag as the kidnapping hotbed of the southwest. On May 15, gunmen attacked a commercial bus on the Iju/Itaogbolu/Ikere-Ekiti Road and kidnapped some passengers.
Earlier in May, a 53-year-old farmer, Matthew Ojo, was abducted on his rice farm along Ise-Emure Road, by gunmen, who later demanded N30m as ransom.
According to the Chairman, All Farmers Association in Nigeria, Ekiti State chapter, Mr Adebola Alagbada, the incessant kidnapping of his members is discouraging people from farming and may lead to hunger in the state.
He said, “If insecurity is not curtailed, it may discourage many people from farming, which may eventually lead to hunger in the state and country.”
The Chairman, Ikere, Emure, Ise/Orun Joint Security Committee, Tunji Falana, argued that it is time for communities in the state to adopt a joint security model to curtail kidnappings.
He explained that the JSC model had been effective and result oriented in communities where palaces have collaborated with security and paramilitary agencies including the Nigerian Police, the Nigerian Army, Amotekun, Civil Defence, OPC, and traditional hunters.
Falana, who spoke at Ikere Ekiti when the CP paid a familiarisation visit to the zone comprising Emure, Ikere, Ise/Orun, Ekiti Southwest, and Ikere West council areas, advised the police boss to ensure an increase in the number of policemen and police equipment in the state too.
According to the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council, the Ekiti State Government and relevant stakeholders need to increase efforts to stamp out organised crime, especially kidnapping, in the state.
The co-chairmen, NIREC, Ekiti State Chapter, the Catholic Bishop of Ekiti Diocese, Felix Ajakaye, and the Chief Imam of Ekiti State, Jamiu Kewulere, urged the government “to accelerate the prosecution of people arrested for committing organised crimes, some of whom have been paraded by the police without having been taken to court.”
NIREC also canvassed the timely prosecution and punishment of culprits, saying this would motivate citizens to show more interest in fighting crimes and as well as serve as a deterrent to those being tempted to go into crimes.
It further called on religious bodies to complement the state government’s efforts to fight crimes by sensitising their members to shun criminal activities and provide information to security agencies to expose criminals.
NIREC said, “State government and local government authorities should prioritise security in their programmes. Federal, state, and LG authorities should further support and empower law enforcement agencies with required tools and equipment to prevent and fight crimes.”
It remains to be seen if the collaborative effort of the government, security apparatus, community leaders, and religious heads will yield results. The police state command has in the last three months paraded several suspects including those identified as kidnap kingpins, notorious armed robbers, and others/
They have promised to take them to court after finalising investigations, which they hope can lead to the arrest of others.
The Police Commissioner, Ogundare, recently said, “Assuredly, the command would always rise to its responsibility of protecting lives and property. In our continued determination to fight crimes and criminalities in the state, the Ekiti State Police Command under my watch has clamped down on suspects in connection with different reprehensive crimes.”
The PPRO, Abutu, stated, “We are working round the clock. We are working with stakeholders and other relevant security agencies to engage in constant bush combing operations. We have been doing that with other relevant security agencies including Amotekun, Vigilante, and the local hunters.
“We have been engaging in visibility police patrol around the identified hot spots, the borders are being manned, and currently, our men from the mobile force have been deployed to the entry and exit points in the state as part of strategies to ensure that criminality is brought to zero level or the barest minimum.
“Recently, the CP went on a tour of the different area commands where he met with the traditional rulers, the PCRC, the OPC, etc., where their challenges were presented to him, and he has promised to work on them. We are going to overcome every challenge.”
He, however, appealed to residents to help the police with relevant, useful, and timely information that can help them with their job.
According to the special adviser to the governor on security matters, Brig. Gen. Ebenezer Ogundana (retd), said Ekiti is safe and only has isolated hot spots. He noted that security agents are working hard to ensure that the state becomes where people can live, work, invest, and play.
The security expert, who added that the incidents of kidnapping and other crimes in the state has been minimal, said, “The idea is to make sure that we respond quickly to it when we have an isolated incident. The incident with the APC chairman was an isolated one. The one or two incidents recorded on that route were imported from our neighbouring state. Our side here is safe, but they always pursue people to our state.
“For every action, there is always a reaction, so we have changed our tactics, we don’t want to say this place is safe again, we are rejigging our plans to ensure that we meet up with the emerging situation. We are up to the task.
“Before now, the Oke Ako – Irele – Ayedun road had been a no-go area, but now, it isn’t so. Security agencies have worked round the clock to ensure that people in that area can go about their daily activities because that area is an investment hub. We don’t want to discourage our investors, so we had to invest everything we could, to ensure the place became safe.”
