A gang of kidnappers, disguised as drivers and passengers, have abducted several travelers on the Ibadan-Oyo road, prompting urgent warnings for vigilance. Former Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Mr. Asimiyu Alarape, raised the alarm after one of his neighbors fell victim to the kidnappers and later recounted the harrowing experience.
Mr. Alarape shared the story of his neighbor’s ordeal, explaining how the gang, including the driver of an eighteen-passenger bus, posed as regular passengers. They forced the bus to stop midway on the expressway and robbed the travelers.
“Ibadan to Oyo road is now a kidnapper’s den. One of my neighbors who boarded a bus going to Oyo was stopped in the middle of the road. The kidnappers, who disguised as passengers, numbering up to eight, marched them into the forest. After they had collected their phones, they released three of them, including my neighbor, and took others into the deep forest. Only God knows their fate inside the kidnapper’s den,” Alarape stated.
Alarape urged residents and motorists to be cautious and spread the word about the dangers on the Oyo/Ibadan road. He highlighted that the driver of the bus was part of the kidnapping gang, emphasizing the need for increased awareness and vigilance.
In response to the alarming situation, the National President of Soludero Hunters Association, Oba Nureni Akintola Anabi, called for the state government and the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, to empower hunters to patrol the forests.
“We have been crying that the Oyo State Government should empower us even if they are not giving us anything to enter the forest. We have been working in the forest for long,” Anabi said.
Anabi expressed concern about the potential risks hunters face without official permission.
“We want to be careful so that we are not used as guinea pigs at the end of the day. If we go into the forest without their permission, they may query us who sent us there. We are familiar with the terrain and we know what to do.”
He assured that if given the green light by authorities, the hunters would be ready to drive the bandits out of the forests and hand them over to law enforcement.
“Whenever the authorities give us the go-ahead, we will smoke the bandits out of the forests and hand them over to the law enforcement agents,” Anabi added.