Angry residents of Akure, the Ondo State capital, took to the streets on Tuesday to demand urgent government action following the abduction of nine surveyors at Owode Ilu-Abo in Akure South Local Government Area.
The victims, all Akure indigenes, were reportedly working on a site when they were seized by armed men last week.
Frustrated by the lack of progress in securing their release, protesters, including relatives of the abducted workers, blocked the busy Oba Adesida Road, disrupting traffic and holding placards with messages calling for swift intervention by security agencies.
One of the demonstrators, Comfort Afolabi, whose brother is among those kidnapped, revealed that the abductors initially demanded ₦50 million before raising the ransom to ₦100 million.
“We have been pleading with them, but they insist they won’t release our loved ones unless we pay the full amount. We are helpless and need the government to intervene,” she said.
The abduction adds to a string of recent kidnapping incidents in the state. Just last week, a farmer and his manager were abducted while returning from their farm in the Oba Ile area.
Reacting to the rising insecurity, the Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Wilfred Afolabi, admitted that the police command was facing logistical challenges in tackling the situation.
“The issue of kidnapping is a serious concern, and we are doing everything within our capacity to address it. However, we need better resources to strengthen our operations,” he stated.
