The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural and political organisation, Afenifere, Sunday, alerted the federal government and security agencies on the rising cases of insecurity, particularly kidnapping in some parts of Nigeria.
The socio-cultural/political organisation in a statement by its national publicity secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi, charged the federal government and the security agencies to rise up to the situation and combat the menace.
In doing this, Afenifere said there is the need for the federal government to address the ‘political, economic and ideological factors’ identified by spokesman of the Department of State Security (DSS), Mr. Peter Afunaya, as being responsible for recurrent incidence of kidnapping and banditry.
The organisation said this latest call became imperative in view of rising kidnap cases in Lagos, Ogun, Kwara and some other parts of the country, citing as example cases of armed robbery attacks at two commercial banks in Ikere, Ekiti state last Wednesday that claimed the lives of three Amotekun security personnel as well as the killing of Mr. Taiwo Oyekanmi, a director of Finance in Ogun state, on November 29, 2023 in Abeokuta by armed robbers.
“Reports have it that seven people were kidnapped while one person was killed last 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 in Ikotun area of Lagos as confirmed by Afonka Police Station in Egbeda, Alimosho, Lagos,” it said.
The organisation added, “Towards the end of October, sundry abductions took place in Ikotun, Okota, Ejigbo, Alimosho, Egbeda, Agege and Amuwo Odofin areas of Lagos, according to published reports. Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, according to BusinessDay, said that the police are aware of the situation and they are taking decisive actions to round up the criminals.”