YORUBA LAND: Aara Ona Kakanfo, Otunba Gani Adams Leads Coalition of Security Groups to Ensure Safety on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Others
YORUBA LAND: Aara Ona Kakanfo, Otunba Gani Adams Leads Coalition of Security Groups to Ensure Safety on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Others.
…Says we don’t want Abuja-Kaduna Expressway Kidnappingexperience here.
To prevent kidnapping and other criminal activities on the Lagos- Ibadan Expressway, a coalition of security groups consisting of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Hunters Association of Nigeria, Vigilante Group of Nigeria, the Agbekoya and others have insisted that they will not allow the Lagos Ibadan Expressway to be turned to another Abuja-Kaduna Expressway where travelers are being abducted or killed by kidnappers on regular basis, newtelegraphng.com reported.
This development was made known by the Coordinator of the group and the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba Land, Aare Gani Adams, during a meeting of the Southwest security groups in Lagos. Aare Adams also pointed out that women have alot of role to play in intelligence gathering on the road, which is why they also joined them. “The group has been in existence for the past three years. We have been doing a lot of things behind the scenes and we believe not every security issue should be on the pages of newspapers. All these groups have structures in all Yoruba land. The women also have an important role to play on the intelligence gathering on the road. They are more concerned that was why they came out.
“We realised that Oyo State Government has deployed Amotekun to the road, what we are doing is to complement the efforts of the government and we have been doing that for long. We have also held series of security meetings in South West states. We are ready to secure ourselves, if we don’t secure ourselves, how do we liberate ourselves? The situation along the road is worrisome and that is why we are having a joint security meeting of all stakeholders.”
The situation is now so bad that those traveling along that road no longer feel safe while plying the route. The situation is worse around the Kara Bridge also known as the Long Bridge. There people are attacked early in the morning while going out. Adams is pissed with the activities of the kidnappers, who he believes “are frustrating our women and men from going to their farms, as a result prices of cash crops and all farm produce are now on the high side, garri which was known as a commoner’s food before, but now it is no more commoner’s food because of the security threats. The South West governors are trying, but the Amotekun cannot do it alone.”
The Aare Ona Kakanfo added that, “We are not unaware of what the Oyo State government, led by Seyi Makinde, is doing by bringing in Amotekun officers, but our role is to complement the efforts of other security agencies. “Those who are interested in bringing to an end the state of insecurity are drawn from OPC, the Vigilante Group of Nigeria, the local hunters, the Oodua women group, and others. They called on me to intervene in the situation. Right now, we now have a monthly meeting of all stakeholders and we are fine-tuning ways on how to tackle the situation.
“The situation has become so bad. Every day we hear of one attack or the other. Travelers are attacked at will. Some of our women get raped during such attacks, while the unlucky ones get kidnapped. We don’t want the situation to degenerate into what we are now witnessing on the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway, where travelers get kidnapped daily and others get killed. ” Aare Adams also stated that, “We are collating security reports and we intend to flush them out. We won’t fold our hands and allow any part of Yoruba land to become a safe haven for criminals. There has been an abnormal surge in cases of kidnapping along that route.”
He raised the alarm that, “The situation is getting out of hand and I strongly believe that it is now time for all stakeholders to join in the fight to rescue the road from the grip of bandits. We urge the governors of Oyo, Ogun, and Lagos states to flush them out. “We have our members in all the local government areas in all the South-West states. The women’s wing also handles surveillance and intelligence gathering.
They collate information and they will pass it on to stakeholders, depending on the one that is most effective in that area.” According to Aare Adams women are very critical to the group, “They are one of the critical groups, because without information we cannot operate. Our women are everywhere, particularly in the market place which is a convergence of people from all shades of life. “As the Aare Onakakanfo, I will provide the much-needed leadership and direction for the collation. This is one of the reasons why the stakeholder’s engagement is held here. I will coordinate other local security, like the local hunters who are the oldest security outfit in the country. However, we intend to partner with the police and all other security agencies in the country.”
How drivers were attacked on Long Bridge
Recently, some residents along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and drivers who ply the road who always go out for the daily activities early in the morning to avoid being trapped in the traffic were mostly victims of attack and their vehicles vandalised, while some of their items were stolen in the process. A resident of Arepo, who gave his name simply as John, said gradually the kidnappers are moving their trade to South West. John said the most unfortunate aspect of it is that the Ogun State Government and security operatives are watching them like season film, “our God is a man of war. He will foil their plans from penetrating South West .
“We have heard of such stories on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway since we started experiencing terrible traffic on the road, our security agencies should rise up to the task of clearing the criminal elements hibernating in the bushes along the road out.” Another driver who doesn’t want his name in print said he left Redeemed Camp around 5: 30am, going to Victoria Island, but he was attacked along with some other drivers in the traffic on October 27 and the windscreen of their vehicles were smashed. He said majority of them who work on the Island always leave early on each fateful day, “the assailants just came out from nowhere and start vandalising vehicles with the hope of kidnapping us. “It was God that saved me, I had to abandon my vehicle and run out screaming for help, but no vehicle wanted to wait to help me for fear of also being attacked. My damaged vehicle is still at the mechanic workshop. Lagos-Ibadan Expressway is turning to a jungle where people’s lives are no more safe. Thank God the construction company has suspended their work until next year.
“I expected policemen stationed on the bridge to be patrolling the area. They don’t do that, they only park their operational vehicle on a spot and sit inside and mostly where the crime usually starts from is on the bridge inward Lagos. Four policemen cannot prevent crime on the two side of the bridge. We need more policemen and other security agencies.
“This is festive season. The volume of vehicles that will pass through that corridor will be on the increase, as a result of that more police patrol is needed in that area. “I am suspecting those motorcycle riders who work in the day to be armed robbers at night. Serious security is needed on the stretch of the road from Lagos to Ibadan, because the road is the busiest road in South West. Alot of innocent souls have died.”
It would be recalled that a 22-year old student of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY, Aminat Taiwo, was abducted alongside her friend, Oluwatobi Orekoya, adjacent Dominion University on the Lagos Ibadan Expressway when they were travelling to Ibadan to honour one of their friends who was getting married. The parents of both friends paid N3 million for them to regain their freedom from the gunmen after spending three days in the kidnappers captivity without food and water.
