The black spots •We are on top of situation – Police •Top Tinubu govt. official: We are working but it will take a bit of time to end kidnapping
By Dayo Johnson, Omobola Dickson, Samuel Oyadongha, Peter Duru, Wole Mosadomi, Jimitota Onoyume, Egufe Yafugborhi, Chioma Onuegbu, Ike Uchechukwu, Chinonso Alozie, Idris Salisu, Marie-Therese Nanlong, Umar Yusuf, Demola Akinyemi, Femi Bolaji, Rotimi Ojomoyela, James Ogunnaike, Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo, Laolu Elijah & Adeola Badru
When some medical students from Universities of Jos and Maiduguri in transit to Enugu State were abducted on August 15 on Otukpo-Ugbokolo-Otukpa-Orokam Road by kidnappers and whisked into nearby forest, the incident immediately generated national outrage. The captives were held until August 23 when they were released. It was not clear if ransom was paid to free the students. Before then, precisely sometime last year, nine potential members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), traveling from Akwa Ibom State to Sokoto, for orientation were grabbed somewhere around Gusau, Zamfara State capital by some armed men. Parents of some of the captives who have been freed claimed to have paid ransom. Sunday Vanguard could not confirm at press time if all the former undergraduates have rejoined their families. The two incidents highlight how insecure kidnappers-for-ransom have made our highways. The menace is not restricted to one part of the country. From Ondo State in the South-West to Imo in the South-East, Akwa Ibom in the South-South, Kwara in the North-Central, Zamfara in the North-West and Plateau in the North-East, travelers are taken by bandits/kidnappers and demand ransom for their freedom. The hoodlums also operate on some of the waterways. In a 2019 report, we highlighted some of the roads where kidnappers behaved like kings. But kidnap incidents appear to have spiked since then. In this report, our correspondents detail scores of kidnap spots in 17 states across Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the police say they are on top of the situation as they are doing everything possible to make the highways and waterways safe. A top security official of the Tinubu administration, on his part, told Sunday Vanguard, recently, that more hoodlums are into kidnap-for-ransom as it has replaced armed robbers which became unattractive after cash-less regime set in and people stopped carrying heavy cash. The official admitted that kidnapping is not over. “It is on-going”, he said. “Kidnapping is like armed robbery and highway robbery and the like. Most of these things have become an economic crime. It happens in pockets. And wherever we hear anything, we act. “We go immediately and respond. Often, most of it has been successful. In Katsina, no single school child has been taken in a while. A week ago, some medical students were taken and we went in and fought them. We retrieved all of them and returned. There are a lot of cases like that. To completely end kidnapping, I think it will take us a bit of time because it is not something that is that easy. “We are working seriously. Kidnapping is a very cowardly way of committing a crime without having to take somebody into the hide and kill. This is because people or the family of the person kidnapped brings money to the abductors. “For them, it is very attractive, very easy and less dangerous. It is a force, but I can assure you that it is going down in some parts of the North like Taraba, Adamawa and in the North-East. It is more or less the same guy, top of the hill. This part sounds like the safest place, but it’s still experiencing kidnapping. It’s here and there. Maybe it will take us a bit more than what it takes to get to the top of the hill, but we are working seriously”. BenueBenue State has, no doubt, has been bedeviled by incidences of insecurity in several communities.Aside the cases of herders’ attacks and banditry recorded almost on a weekly basis in parts of the state, the issue of kidnapping has also become a major challenge.
And some of the victims included important personalities, travelers, and even security personnel.But a noticeable feature of these ugly incidences is that there are particular parts or areas of the state where the criminal gangs responsible for the nefarious businesses have marked out as their stronghold.Such places have recorded and continue to record kidnap incidents despite repeated assurances from security agencies that their activities have been checked.
Places like Katsina-Ala, Ukum and Logo Local Government Areas, LGAs, also known as Sankera axis, and the Makurdi-Naka Road as well as the Otukpo-Ugbokolo-Otukpa-Orokam roads remain the hot spots for kidnapping in Benue.
It was in that axis, close to Otukpo, that 20 medical students from the Universities of Jos and Maiduguri in transit to Enugu State were abducted on August 15 by armed men and whisked into nearby forest.The students were rescued on August 24 and two members of the kidnap gang arrested.Before that incident, the acting Rector of Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo, Dr. Emmanuel Barki, and some members of staff of the institution were also abducted by armed men on same axis on July 12. They have since been released.
Two students of Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University Makurdi, JoSTUM, also fell into the hands of abductors on May 29 along the North Bank-JoSTUM Road. They were eventually released.
On same day a staff member of the Benue State University, BSU, Mr. Matthew Chile, and four others were kidnapped by armed men on Makurdi-Naka Road.
And after spending about a week in dungeon, the victims were released.
On March 24, 10 traders travelling from Wukari in Taraba State were abducted in Jootar, Ukum LGA of the state while a month earlier, on February 24, another 12 passengers, including a pregnant woman travelling from Imo to Adamawa, also got kidnapped in Jootar.
This came as another nine traders were earlier kidnapped on January 11, along the Otukpo-Enugu Road and whisked into the vast forests on that axis.
Luckily they were all rescued by the military spike team codenamed Operation Whirl Stroke, OPWS.Before then, then-Chairman of Ukum LGA, Gideon Haanongon, his driver and police orderly were also kidnapped along the Katsina-Ala-Zaki Biam Road and after spending severely days with the abductors they regained their freedom.
Luckily, all the victims of these kidnap incidences lived to tell their stories and most of the syndicates behind the kidnap network have always evaded police arrest, apart from the two who were identified by one of their victims at an Otukpo motor park while trying to board a vehicle to Makurdi enroute to Nasarawa.The duo, who were said to be herders, were also caught with part of the ransom they collected from their victims during their operations along Otukpo-Enugu Road.
Bothered by the spate of kidnappings in his domain, the traditional rulers of Ogbadibo LGA of the state, Chief Emmanuel Odeh, had, in January, raised the alarm and expressing worry that the axis had become unsafe for travelers and called for the beef up of security in the area “to check the activities of the criminals of people plying the highway in the area.
Benue State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Steve Yabanet, who assumed duties, last April, vowed to deploy his “wealth of experience to tackle crime and criminality in the state and ensure the safety of lives and property of the people of the state.”
Governor Hyacinth also recently vowed not surrender the state to criminal gangs, assuring that “no stone would be left unturned in the decisive move to ensure Benue enjoys maximum security.” Plateau Kidnapping in the past had been almost a daily occurrence in some communities in Plateau State.Traditional rulers, politicians, farmers, and businessmen had fallen victim to kidnappers, paying yet-to-be-known amounts of money as ransom to regain their freedom.
However, in the last eight months, there has been a reduction as cases of kidnapping have greatly reduced.
The information that used to be reported on many social media platforms by residents of the state has not been heard of in a long while.
Communities, especially in the Haske area of Jos North, Maigemu District in Jos East, Jannaret area of Mangu, and Namu area of Qua’an Pan local government areas of the State, which used to be flashpoints in the past, have been very calm in the last year.
The Police Public Relations Officer of the State Police Command, DSP Alfred Alabo, attributed the success to citizens’ support to security agents.Within the period, Alabo noted, “Cases of kidnapping has greatly reduced in the state; recall that Jos East and Qua’an Pan used to be the flashpoints, but the incidents have reduced drastically.
“From January, there was no record, but only recently we had a very few cases, and they will be paraded shortly. Apart from the recent incident in Bokkos, kidnapping and crime rates have greatly reduced. We commend the role of the media and citizens; the support has made our job easier.”
A security operative from another security outfit, who did not want to be named, confirmed, “We have not recorded any kind of incident this year. “As citizens, if it is prevalent, it will not be hidden. When it was happening in the past, everyone knew about it but we thank God that was in the past.”
A resident of Haske, Jos North, whose area was a flashpoint in the past, concurred, “We have not heard of any incident in a long while. The incident made some people to sell or rent out their property at a very low rate, but they are regretting it now, especially those who sold because we are free now.
“In the past, everyone was a suspect, everyone was a victim because you couldn’t tell whose house would be next. “From lecturers to retirees, we were all living in fear but the area is okay now.” Zamfara In Zamfara State, reports indicated that from January, this year, to date, there has been an increase in banditry activities that became so rampant on major roads where several people have been kidnapped or killed by bandits.
Sunday Vanguard findings reveal highways notorious for kidnapping and banditry in Zamfara include Gusau -Funtua and Gusau – Sokoto roads.
Other black spots are Kaura Namoda – Zurmi Road linking down to Katsina border, Kaura Namoda – Shinkafi Road, Gusau – Magami – Dansadau Road, and Magami – Dangulbi – Anka Road.Bandits routinely kidnap people in transit on these roads and those in villages and collect ransom running into hundreds of millions of naira.
Gusau – Funtua Road, especially the portion between Tsafe to Magazu, is believed to be the most dangerous zone in Zamfara because of the attraction it holds for kidnapped in terms of the huge traffic of travelers from Kaduna, Katsina, Kano and other parts of the country down to Sokoto.
As a result, the state government has closed the road to travelers passing through Gusau from 6 pm to 7 am even as security forces keep surveillance on the highway round the clock.
Speaking to our correspondent, Zamfara State Public Relations of the state Police Command, ASP Yazeed Abubakar, could not immediately provide the number of suspected kidnappers/bandits arrested or of those abducted or rescued in the state. NigerNiger State had been under the siege of bandits since 2015 as out of the 25 local government areas in the state, 18 were constantly raided with scores, mostly women and children, killed, maimed or abducted.Besides, blood-shedding in villages, many communities have been sacked after bandits set houses and barns on fire, leaving villagers with nothing to fall back on or start a new life.LGAs frequently attacked in the beginning are Shiroro, Rafi, Mariga, Mashegu, Kontagora, Rijau, Wushishi, Paikoro, Munya, Wushishi, Lapai and Agaie.
One of the contributing factors to bandit attacks in Niger includes the presence of federal roads in the state.
Niger has the longest federal roads in the country, spanning over 1,477 kilometers and spread across 15 of the 25 LGAs.
Out of this, 1,115 kilometers, representing 80%, are Trunk A roads but sadly in a deplorable situation, thereby giving room for bandits to operate freely on the roads due to the snail speed of vehicles.The situation forced Governor Abubakar Sani Bello to establish permanent security camps on some of the roads to stem banditry and kidnapping.
The step reduced the menace to about eight LGAs in 2021.At the peak of the constant attacks, no fewer than 200 communities in the eight affected wards of Shiroro, 60 in Rafi, 54 in Munya, 15 in Paikoro, 12 in Mariga with unspecified number in Kontagora, Rijau, Wushishi, Mashegu could sleep with their two eyes closed within the period.The biggest attacks and kidnapping in Niger happened when 128 students of Government Science College, Kagara and later pupils of Islamic Primary School, Tegina both in Rafi LGAs were abducted.The captives spent about 90 days with their captors before they were freed.Similarly, 47 commuters travelling in a Niger State Transport Authority, NSTA, bus were abducted at Kundu village along Zungeru –Tegina – Road.
According to the data obtained from Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), 152 farmers were killed, 355 kidnapped in attacks on various communities in Mariga, Rijau, Wushishi, Paikoro, Rafi, Shiroro, Mafama, Munya and Mashegu between April and September 2023. The number of those killed, abducted or displaced may have increased in past months.The attacks apparently forced many villagers in affected LGAs to flee.Subsequently, the development dealt a huge blow on food production, leading to scarcity of food items and skyrocketing of prices. Kaduna The North-West region has been described as the epicentre of banditry in Nigeria.Even though government has, overtime, mobilized security forces to the Kaduna, Niger and Zamfara inter-boundary axis connecting the notorious forests where bandits operate with impunity, killings, kidnapping and other criminal activities have continued in the region, thereby making life scary, difficult and dangerous, especially for rural dwellers.
In Kaduna, for example, to ensure that communities can once again live in peace and harmony for development, the state government has adopted numerous measures to deal with banditry and other criminal acts.
Under a new security outfit, ‘Operation Fushin Kada’, Governor Uba Sani has, among other measures, donated 150 patrol vehicles and 500 motorcycles to security agencies.
However, bandits have continued to unleash terror in several locations across Kaduna.For instance, Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area of the state, at a point, was on red alert, particularly the eastern part where the Ansaru terrorists hold sway, becoming the local authority and dictating how things should go in the occupied villages.
Farming activities in the area, previously known for massive maize production in hundreds of tons, have been grossly affected as indigenous farmers abandoned their farms for fear of being killed.Others have since moved to neighboring Niger State as the terrorists imposed stringent conditions before the locals could access their farms.
Other hot spots in Kaduna where terrorists operate include the Galadimawa- Giwa axis, some parts of Kaduna Central and Igabi, Chikun and Kajuru Local Government Areas.
Roads in the state that are now referred to as suicidal to ply because of bandit attacks are the Kaduna-Birnin-Gwari Road and the Birnin-Gwari-Funtua Road, even though soldiers often escort commuters who had to use the roads to reach their destinations.
Although communal clashes in Zangon Kataf and Sanga Local Government Areas have reduced and security beefed up there, there were however, attacks by bandits who killed and kidnapped for ransom. The Rijana and Kudaru forest, and some areas along the Kaduna-Abuja highway, especially between the Greenfield University and Olam, were feared by motorists and commuters and groups of bandits hibernate there despite the presence of security operatives.
Outskirts of Kaduna, for instance, areas such as Danhonu in the Millennium City or suburbs near Gorin Gora were not spared by hoodlums despite their proximity to the state capital. The practice in the past where the state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs presented reports of the state’s security status on quarterly basis has been suspended and therefore there is no accurate data of number of deaths due to banditry or kidnapping.
Meanwhile, from January 2024 to date, bandits have launched attacks in several locations in Kaduna, resulting in deaths and varying degrees of injury.
Many victims have also regained freedom while some few others remain in captivity pending further action from security operatives or when their respective families would negotiate with the hoodlums and pay ransom. Recently, Governor Sani said security efforts in the troubled Birnin Gwari Local Government area was yielding positive result and commended the various agencies enforcing security there.He said there had been stability in the area, especially on the highway, in the last six months and observed that relative peace had returned to many communities along the Kaduna-Birnin Gwari route as farmers were seen working on their fields.Sani expressed confidence that, with sustained security operations in the area, the economy of Birnin-Gwari will bounce back in no distance future, pointing out that his administration had prioritized rural transformation to boost the economy of the rural communities and minimize rural-urban migration. TarabaThe security challenges in Taraba State are multifaceted and range from tribal to communal conflicts which have, overtime, transformed into banditry.
This is case in Taraba South where numerous persons have lost their lives while others have had to part with money paid as ransom.Most of these assailants, in their kidnapping operations, block access roads and shoot sporadically before picking their victims.
Some of the roads notorious for this act include Wukari-Takum Road, Takum-Katsina-Ala Road, Wukari-Tsokundi Road, Bali-Suntai-Takum Road and the Takum- Kashimbilla Road.It was learned that assailants keep their victims in the stretch of forest along the Taraba-Benue corridor.It was also gathered that they sometimes dress in military camouflage, especially when they block roads during the day.
In the last one month, the monarch of Chanchaji and his son were ambushed and killed along Takum-Wukari Road while returning from a burial.Six other persons within the time under review also lost their lives in this same route when assailants shot sporadically at their vehicle. While this has lingered for long, activities of these armed groups have affected the economic viability of major markets along that axis. The Wukari Yam Market, which prides itsself as one of the biggest yam markets in West Africa, has seen reduction in patronage. Other markets within that zone have also recorded decline in traffic of human and vehicular movements due to the insecurity and risks involved. Merchants have now turned to neighboring states with relative peace for fear of being victim of banditry on Taraba highways. A former Chairman of Takum local government area, Boyi Manga, who was waylaid along Wukari-Takum Road, sometime in 2023, while narrating his ordeal, said the bandits were ruthless.Security agencies have, in the meantime, beefed up operations on the road, bandits decimated and their various camps cleared. Ogun In Ogun State, investigation by Sunday Vanguard reveals that no fewer than 47 people were kidnapped between January and August this year in different parts of the state.Out this number, two were killed while others were released or rescued.Whereas some of the victims were kidnapped in transit, others were kidnapped at their different houses.During the period under review, in an attack on a Celestial Church, two worshippers were abducted and a school teacher on his farm.In Odogbolu area of the state, a farm manager was kidnapped even as a team of expatriates were abducted in Ikenne area.The State Command of Nigeria Police alerted residents of Ogun to be vigilant of new strategies employed by kidnappers, particularly at residential gates.The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, disclosed that kidnappers were ambushing victims at their gates, leading to a rise in abductions in the eastern part of the state.Odutola said the syndicates commonly operate in Sagamu, Iperu, Ikenne, Odogbolu, and Eruwon in the Ijebu North-East region of Ogun East.Other areas where kidnapping was rampant in the state include Mowe, Onigbedu in Ewekoro local government and Iwoye Ketu in Imeko/Afon local government.She described the attackers’ modus operandi, “They lay in wait at the gates of their unsuspecting victims. As soon as a victim alights from their vehicle to open the gate, the kidnappers emerge from hiding, seizing the vehicle and any remaining occupants.”
This alarming tactic was highlighted by a recent incident in Ikenne, where a medical staff of Babcock University, Ilisan-Remo was abducted very close to her house.Another distressing case involved Nimota Busari, who was abducted in a similar manner while her children were thrown out of the vehicle.
The kidnappers target residents living in remote areas where police response might be delayed. To combat the ugly trend, Odutola advised residents in such localities to avoid traveling at night and ensure they are at home before dark to avoid risks.She said, “The State Commissioner of Police has directed that business owners and residents in new or remote areas should ensure they return home before dusk, so that the police can effectively monitor and respond to these threats”.Odutola added that police had deployed additional patrols to the identified hotspots and were intensifying efforts to dismantle the kidnapping syndicate.As part of measures to respond to the escalating crime, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has created three additional Area Commands in Ogun, and assured that tougher measures were being implemented to ensure the safety of residents.Governor Dapo Abiodun, on his part, said that his administration was deploying drones, helicopters and other technological innovations to address security challenges in the state.He said, “We have of recent acquired some drones and these drones are meant to help us in aerial surveillance knowing full well that it will be impossible for us to have enough boots to cover all the dark spots in the state.“Because of that, we have chosen to deploy technology believing that with that, we can see where crimes are being intended to be committed and that can be neutralised before they are committed.“We have also requested for a helicopter from the Nigeria Police to assist our law enforcement agencies and the Inspector General of Police has obliged us and the helicopter has since been in the state and any time there are distress calls, especially from kidnap situations, the helicopter will be able to fly there within minutes and, when this happens, the kidnappers are not able to move too far from the crime scene and this will make it easy for security men to move in and intervene.”Abiodun said his administration revived the OP-MESA and also set up a task force to patrol the Ogun side of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to tackle the menace of kidnapping.According to him, as a result of the intervention, kidnapping has been reduced to the barest minimum in the axis.He promised to provide more support to the Forward Operation Base (FOB) on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway as well as the one at the Muhammadu Buhari Estate along the Abeokuta-Siun-Sagamu Expressway for effective performance.
The governor appreciated men of the Nigerian Army and other security agencies for their untiring efforts, adding that this has contributed to the state being rated as one of the most peaceful in the country. AdamawaThe rate of organized crimes, especially armed robbery, kidnapping and banditry, appears to be in the decline in Adamawa.
The state Police Command spokesman, SP Suleiman Nguroje, told Sunday Vanguard that the combined efforts security agencies had drastically reduced the rate of crime in Adamawa.
According to him, black spots across the state have been cordoned and secured.
Notable black spots in the state include Maine Hills in Yola South LGAs, the border council areas between Nigeria and the Cameroun in Maiha, Mubi North and Mubi South Other notable crime spots now aggressively policed in Adamawa are in Michika, Madagali, Fufore, Hong and Gombi LGAs that share common border with the dreaded Sambisa forest.The police spokesman added that the feat achieved in reducing insecurity in Adamawa could also be attributed to the cooperation by the public in providing credible information to security agents. Kwara Kwara State is also having its own share of security challenges.More than100 suspected kidnappers, according to the police, have been arrested since the beginning of the year.Sunday Vanguard gathered that black spots of kidnapping are particularly in Kwara South and in communities such as Obbo Ayegunle, Araromi Isale-Opin, Oro Ago and Oko-Ode, among others.Communities with thick forests, especially the ones in the border areas with Ekiti ,Oyo and Kogi states, are places where high rates of kidnapping usually occur.Recall that gunmen invaded Koro town in Ekiti LGA of the state on February 1, 2024, killing the traditional ruler, Oba Segun Aremu-Cole, a retired Major General, right inside his palace.The wife of the monarch was abducted in the process.Koro Ekiti, with surrounding thick forests, shares boundary with Egbe in Yagba West LGA of Kogi State.Asa LGA is also notorious for kidnapping because it’s largely dominated by thick forests and isolated bad roads which kidnappers usually explore to carry out their nefarious activities.Similarly Eiyenkorin areas of Kwara State capital also in Asa LGA, which shares boundary with Oyo State, have also recorded many cases of kidnapping before now.Meanwhile, the administration of Gov AbdulRazaq has supported the police and other security agencies in the state with vehicles and logistics towards reducing the menace in the state.The state Police Command, for its part, has leveraged on the support of the local vigilante and hunters who have been strategic in providing information and helping the police to arrest kidnappers and even rescue victims.Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Mr Victor Olaiya, said operatives of the command have arrested no fewer than 100 kidnap suspects and 80 cult members in Kwara in the last six months. Bayelsa Kidnapping, which gained prominence in the creek of Bayelsa in the days of youth militancy in the late nineties and early 2000s, was targeted at expatriate oil workers in frustration over the age long neglect of the oil rich region by the Nigerian state. Interestingly, no ransom was demanded by the angry Ijaw youths, who, often times, dared the nation security forces and laid siege to highly fortified onshore and offshore oil platforms operated by the international oil companies (IOCs).Sadly, this audacious approach, which started as a campaign of terror against the oil industry for reparation and environmental justice for the people of the Niger Delta region, has turned out to be money spinning venture and a security challenge across the country.Surprising, Bayelsa, with its maze of intricate waterways, creeks and rivulets, which, at a point, was a bastion of kidnapping, has been relative calm in the last twelve months with no single case of kidnapping ostensibly due to the improved security put in place by the authorities, the continued engagement of youths and the establishment of ‘Flying Camps’ at strategic locations along its waterways by a private surveillance security firm, Tantita Security.Also, the state police command has set up a drone unit that uses unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) on constant surveillance of the upland and riverine enclave of the state. Delta Reports from Delta State indicate that kidnapping for ransom has increased lately with the state Police Command doing its best to stem the tide even though its personnel cannot cover every inch of the state. Areas noted for the menace include Elume on Warri – Sapele Road, some communities in Ughelli North and Refinery Road in Warri among others. Though some communities are known to have strengthened their local vigilante bodies, their impact has been minimal because of the Federal Government restriction on the type of arms they are entitled to carry. Akwa Ibom Akwa Ibom State has recorded resurgence in kidnapping in the last one year despite the state government’s renewed efforts to tackling the menace under the state Commissioner of Police, CP Waheed Ayilara, who, unfortunately, just passed.In March, a Director in Nsit Atai LGA, Mr. Nyakobong Etuk, and his wife were abducted in front of their residence by unknown gunmen, leaving behind their twin babies less than a year old. Again on April 7, there was tension in Uyo when a prominent businessman, Pastor Sylvanus Ukpong, was ambushed and abducted in his car by hoodlums. He died in the kidnappers den, leaving Governor Eno shattered even as he offered Ukpong’s widow a job and scholarship for the daughter.Renowned medical expert, Dr John Robbin Esu, was abducted in Oron on April 30 , resulting in doctors’ strike till May 21 when he was released. A source in Oron stated, “Who in the state doesn’t know ransom was paid? Ransom was paid, something in the region of N14m for the doctor to be released. Why do you think he spent 20 days in the kidnappers’ den?”Within the period, the wife of Chief Asukwo Eweme Ulap Okon alias Levile, a prominent youth leader, was also kidnapped within Oro nation. On May 18, Paramount Ruler of Mbo Local Government Area (LGA), HRM Ogwong Okon A. Abang, was also abducted in his Ebughu palace and shot on the foot in the process. He was not released till the payment of a speculated N50m ransom.Oro ethnic bloc remains the most vulnerable to these abductions due to collapse of its road network and porosity of its waterways. Besides the case of Ukpong and that of Etuk, these mentioned abductions including those of the monarch and the doctor happened within the Oron axis where a Judge of the State High Court was also seized late last year.It is believed that the kidnap gangs work with external forces that move in from Oron waterways and local informants who monitor the movement of targets to allow the syndicates strike with precision. Abducted victims are then whisked into the creeks where they are kept while ransoms are negotiated.In all the reported cases of the release of victims, the seemingly reactive men of the police have always claimed the glory while family members who negotiate ransoms stay in the background.
However, the Police Command in Akwa Ibom State recently got some worried residents in the black spots heaving a sigh of relief with the news of the killing, on August 28, of dreaded ‘kidnap/sea pirate kingpin’, Ubong Effiong Archibong, alias Condiment.
ASP Timfon John, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Akwa Ibom Command, noted that Condiment’s “stock in trade was to kidnap, kill, maim and cause havoc in society.”John added, “Archibong, alias Condiment, gang leader of the Bling Bling Marine Strike Force terrorizing Uruan/Oron Waterways, was responsible for the kidnapping of High Court Judge Joy Unwana and the killing of her police orderly, Inspector ThankGod Edet, the gruesome murder of the CEO of Emem and Sons Ltd, Pastor Ukpong, and kidnapping of his sales rep. The suspect was also responsible for the kidnap of Pharmacist Joemel as well as the kidnap of Mr. Brown, CEO of Mingles Hotel.“The suspect was neutralized during a gun battle with operatives of the Command in his hideout at Uyanga community in Cross River State. One G3 rifle and four live ammunitions were recovered from the suspect.”With the situation not abating despite Governor Eno’s massive logistic support, including provision of gunboats and patrol vehicles to security agencies in the state, the governor has called for more military presence in Akwa Ibom, particularly on the Oron waterways corridor.Eno during an encounter with the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen Taoreed Lagbaja, during the combined 2nd and 3rd COAS Conference held in Uyo, noted that Akwa Ibom, as a leading oil producer in the country, needs a new battalion, preferably in the Oron Federal Constituency to reinforce the “security architecture of the state”. Cross River Cross River State, which was bedeviled by kidnapping in 2023 and early 2024, has been relatively calm with peace restored in black spots in Akpabuyo LGAs, Calabar /Oron waterways, Nde in Ikom LGA and Atantigha in Calabar South LGA.Before now, kidnapping was rife, but, from January till date, Sunday Vanguard findings reveal that the state has recorded only 14 cases.Checks reveal that over 25 were reported either by petition as well as alleged cases. Also, the spate of incidents at hot spots like NDE in Ikom LGA has completely stopped following tactical engagement by the Cross River State Commissioner of Police, Augustine Grimah.Kidnapping in Bakassi LGAs has also reduced as no case has been reported in the last 12 weeks unlike in 2023, and early 2024, when it was a recurring issue.A security source said the state was calm as many of the masterminds have been neutralized, relocated or moved to the creeks where they operate from.On her part, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Irene Ugbo, told Sunday Vanguard that it is really difficult for criminals to operate because of the security measures put in place by the state Commissioner of Police. Imo Since January, 2024, there have been reports of incidents of kidnappings in some parts of Imo State.Residents, who spoke to Sunday Vanguard from the affected areas, said kidnappers operate in night hours. The areas they pointed out as black spots for kidnapping include but not limited to the road between Anara- Okwelle to Okigwe town. The list also includes the road between Avu and Obosima linking the LGA of Owerri West and Ohaji/Egbema. Also, they mentioned the activities of kidnappers on the Owerri -Port Harcourt Road especially around the forest at Avu Junction to Obinze in Owerri West LGA.Other areas pointed out were the Ikpaora, Arondizuogu Road linking Ideato North and Okigwe LGAs. Residents in parts of Aboh Mbaise, Ezinihitte Mbaise as well as Ngor Okpala LGAs linking Imo airport were not left out in this ugly experience, just as some residents at communities bordering Ngor Okpala council area of Imo State to Etche in Rivers State called on security agencies to put surveillance on the road to prevent kidnappers from using the area as hideouts to keep victims. Speaking on kidnapping in Imo among other crimes and criminalities, the state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Henry Okoye, said: “13 kidnapped victims were rescued unhurt and 10 snatched vehicles were recovered while 435 suspects were arrested for various criminal offenses including kidnapping.”Okoye mentioned camps of kidnappers raided to include Okija in Anambra State, Eziama, Ubulu in Oru-West Council Area, Avu/Ihiagwa forest in Owerri West Council Area of Imo state, Ihitte Owerre in Orlu council Area, Njaba river in Njaba Council Area, Obinugwu and Logara forest in Ngor Okpala council area. Ekiti The rise in kidnapping has cast a shadow over Ekiti’s image as one of the most secured and peaceful states as residents grapple with fear and uncertainty. A state once renowned as a sanctuary of peace is now being violated by the disturbing trends of abductions and killings.Residents now find themselves facing a harsh new reality, one where traveling to nearby towns, work, school, or even the market is fraught with danger. The audacity of the kidnappers, who operate with reckless abandon and increasing impunity, has left law enforcement panting, despite their efforts to rid the state of criminal activities.On Saturday, September 1, 2024, bandits abducted three travelers in Emure-Ekiti during which one Taiwo Oluwole, the husband of one of the captives, was killed. According to sources, the incident occurred around 5:30 pm near Oyimo River, along the Emure-Eporo Road, the spot where pupils from Apostolic Faith Children School and Atinuke, the wife of retiree Albert Adanikin, were kidnapped in January and July, respectively.Sources revealed that Oluwole and his wife were returning to Akure after attending a family event in Emure when their Toyota Camry was ambushed. Oluwole was shot dead while his wife, along with two other occupants of the car, was subsequently kidnapped. Unfortunately, the kidnappers later killed Shile Ogunmolasuyi, a secondary school graduate who was abducted along with her mother, Mrs. Yemi Ogunmolasuyi, after a ransom of N10 million was paid. They later released Yemi and Caroline Taiwo, whose husband, Oluwole Taiwo, was killed during the abduction. A community leader in Emure, who spoke with one of the victims, said Shile was killed after being repeatedly raped, which left her unable to walk.On February 16, 2024, the Ekiti State Police Command paraded eight suspected members of the kidnapping syndicate that abducted the schoolchildren and their teachers. The Police Command also paraded one Omowaye Ayodele on August 2, 2024, one of the suspected killers of the late Professor Oluwafemi Olaofe whose abduction, according to the police, was masterminded by his domestic staff. Reiterating their commitment to ensuring that all fleeing suspects are arrested, Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Adeniran Akinwale, pledged to intensify efforts to make the state a hostile environment for criminals and ensure peaceful coexistence for residents. Oyo Since January this year, kidnapping have been reported in some parts of Oyo State.The identified black spots are Ijebu-Ibadan Road and the Igbeti, Igboho and Oke-Ogun axis.The areas mostly affected are Oke-Ogun area of the state, Igbeti-Igboho Road and Ijebu-Ibadan Road.Also, some victims who were kidnapped within Ibadan metropolis said the incidents took place around Obafemi Awolowo Stadium and Felele area.Notable black spots, such as the Iseyin Road, which could have posed a threat to residents and travelers, are now under vigilant surveillance by Amotekun operatives.Their presence has deterred potential kidnappers.Of the several abductions in Oyo, the recent one involved Benedict Akika, said to be very close to Governor Seyi Makinde. Akika, according to reports, was kidnapped at his Olorunda residence in Lagelu LGA of the state.Also, a man, who was too scared to mention his name, told Sunday Vanguard that he was abducted around Liberty Stadium around 7:30pm by some men dressed in police vests.According to him, he was ordered into a waiting Golf car by four armed men.He said, he met two other victims in the car and they were all driven to Ijebu-Ibadan Road where they were handed over to four motorcyclists already waiting for them.While speaking on the abduction of Akika, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Adewale Osif
eso, said investigation had commenced on the incident.No specific number of abducted victims of recent was given by the police.But the establishment of the Amotekun Corps, a regional security outfit dedicated to combating crime in the South-West, has proven invaluable in maintaining peace and order, particularly in areas that have previously been considered vulnerable.The state police spokesperson said, “Our coordinated efforts have significantly reduced the number of incidents”. Ondo In Ondo, reports show that kidnapping, banditry and killings occurs on daily basis in different parts of the state, especially in Akoko communities in Ondo North.Abduction of farmers, wives, children, travelers and market women and killings have become commonplace.Findings by Sunday Vanguard indicate that farmers in the area now prefer going to their farms in groups.Sources said that the kidnappers usually operate especially in the early hours of the day and in the evening.Identified black spots in the state are the four Akoko councils which share borders with Kogi and Edo states.The roads where kidnappers operate mostly in the state include Owo/lfon/Benin Road, ldoani/lsua/Edo/Kogi Road, and Ugbe/ lboropa/Akunu to Kogi boundary.Most of the kidnappers operating in this axis, it was learnt, usually wear military camouflage or police uniform to stop unsuspecting motorists before swooping on them and thereafter marching them into the forest from where they open a line of communication with the victims relations and family members to pay ransom. High profile abductions carried out in Ondo of recent include those of five NYSC members along Owo/Ifon/Benin Road. They were kidnapped on their way from Enugu State where they had done their orientation.Also a couple travelling along Akure/Ikere Road were abducted while another traveler in another vehicle escaped into the bush.Few days before the abduction along the highway, a suspected kidnapper, who reportedly disguised as a scavenger, was arrested in Akure, the state capital over the kidnaping of an 8-year-old girl.Gunmen also abducted passengers in an 18-seater bus along Ikare/Irun-Akoko/Ado-Ekiti Road.Speaking on abductions and arrest of suspected kidnappers in Ondo, police spokesperson, Funmi Odunlami, said from January till date, hundreds of travelers, farmers and other persons have been abducted by suspected kidnappers while hundreds have also been rescued by security operatives.Odunlami said many persons have either been killed by kidnappers or that they died in kidnappers’ den because of the stress they went through while in custody.According to her, the police arrested many of the suspects and charged them to court.Ondo State Commander of Amotekun, Chief Adetunji Adeleye, on his part, said the outfit had prosecuted 600 suspected kidnappers and armed robbers among other criminals from January to June, this year.“Kidnapping in Ondo State has gone down by 90 per cent, and the remaining 10 per cent, we only have them in the border areas, the extreme”, he said.Odunlami and Adeleye said that they were collaborating with other security agencies to end criminalities in Ondo.
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