Oyo abduction: Ogun residents protest, demand end to insecurity

Oyo abduction: Ogun residents protest, demand end to insecurity

Residents of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, on Monday protested against insecurity and the recent abduction of about 40 school children and seven teachers in Ogbomoso, Oyo State. Oyo abduction: Ogun residents protest, demand end to insecurity The protesters, who gathered as early as 8am around Panseke, Abeokuta, were armed with placards bearing various messages such as “The crime they committed was that they went to school, release our children and teachers”, “Stop kidnapping, banditry”, “Stop insecurity, Nigeria is falling apart”, “Our future is crying for help!!! help!!! help!!!”, “Bring back our school children”, “End terrorism in Nigeria”, among others. Recall that armed bandits raided three schools—Community Grammar School, L.A. Primary School (both in Ahoro-Esinele), and Baptist Nursery and Primary School (in Yawota)—located in the Oriire Local Government Area, near Ogbomoso. A teacher and one other resident were shot dead during the invasion, while one of the abducted teachers, Mr Michael Oyedokun, was later gruesomely beheaded by the terrorists. Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Pastor Juwon Owolabi lamented that residents now live in palpable fear and can no longer sleep well, as they do not know who will be the next victim of the ravaging insecurity. He asserted that when society is not safe and secured, businesses cannot thrive, adding that they had decided to come out to urge both the state and the federal government to do more to protect citizens. “This is a time when parents and everyone are grieving. We cannot continue like this. We sleep with anxiety and panic, and we trust that the government has the capacity and what it takes to end this insecurity now. “We know that if it doesn’t end now, no one would be safe at the end. We stand with the parents, the families of those who are in the den of these terrorists, and we call on the government to intensify efforts to ensure the freedom of all that are under the captivity of these terrorists.” Owolabi insisted that the country is at a tipping point and no one, including the rich or poor, is safe. He explained that: “We are at a tipping point. We are at a point that if we don’t do anything about this insecurity, all of us will be victims of it. It doesn’t matter who you are, whether you are a civil servant, whether you are rich or poor, you are not safe. Nobody is safe. “It’s time we all come out. There is power in our numbers. The government must know we are united. Don’t wait until the 2027 election. You don’t even have