Protesters,
Nine surveyors have been abducted by suspected gunmen while working at a site in the Ilu-Abo area of Akure North Local Government, Ondo State.
Sources revealed that the kidnappers initially demanded a ransom of N100 million but later reduced it to N50 million after negotiations with the victims’ families.
However, despite efforts to raise N20 million, the abductors rejected the offer, insisting on full payment of their demand.
Concerned about the increasing cases of kidnapping and killings, women in Akure staged a protest on Tuesday, demanding urgent action from the government.
The demonstrators, mostly from the Ijemikin area, marched to the residence of the Ejeminkin of Akure, High Chief Oluwole Omotayo, before proceeding to the Governor’s Office in Alagbaka.
The protesters called on Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to take immediate steps to curb the activities of kidnappers and other criminals terrorizing communities in the state.
Responding to the protest, the Special Adviser on Union Matters and Special Duties, Bola Taiwo, attributed the incident to the surveyors’ failure to hire security personnel while on duty. Speaking on behalf of the governor, Taiwo suggested that an internal collaborator might have played a role in the abduction.
He urged the victims’ families to formally report the incident to the police, stating, “Surveyors working on-site should always go with police escorts to avoid such attacks. No one can be kidnapped without internal collaboration.”
Taiwo also advised the protesters to return to Ilu-Abo and demand the release of the abducted surveyors, assuring them that the government would engage with community leaders to address their concerns.
