Residents of Ilu-Abo community in Akure North Local Government Area, Ondo State, on Monday staged a peaceful protest over a renewed wave of kidnappings and violent attacks, barricading the Airport-Owo Expressway and triggering heavy traffic along the corridor.
The demonstration followed the abduction of a middle-aged woman, Oladeinde Tomilola, who was taken on Sunday night at the entrance of her residence. Eyewitness accounts indicated that the assailants, believed to be armed, fired at her vehicle, disabling it before abducting her.
During the incident, two neighbours who raised an alarm and attempted to intervene sustained gunshot injuries. They were immediately taken to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment. A woman and her 11-year-old daughter passing through the area were also reported to have been injured by stray bullets.
Angered by what they described as a worsening security situation, protesters – comprising youths, women, and community leaders – trooped out early on Monday, blocking the major highway with logs, stones, and other objects while chanting solidarity songs. They demanded urgent government action to halt the spate of abductions and restore safety to the community.
Confirming the incidents, the spokesperson for the Ondo State Police Command, Funmilayo Odunlami-Jimoh, said the attacks occurred in separate but related cases.
She disclosed that six armed men ambushed and opened fire on a motorist, John Ofuduwa, as he drove into his residence in a Toyota Camry with Abuja registration number GWA 674 CM, leaving him injured.
“In another instance, a middle-aged woman, Oladeinde Tomilola, who was also about to enter her compound, was abducted by the attackers,” the police spokesperson said, adding that a woman and her 11-year-old daughter were injured by stray bullets during the attacks.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in Ondo State, Adebowale Lawal, visited the community on Monday to assess the situation and engage residents.
According to the police, the commissioner condemned the attacks and assured the public that security arrangements had been reinforced with additional tactical and intelligence-driven measures aimed at swiftly apprehending the perpetrators and preventing a recurrence.
Residents, however, insisted that sustained security presence and proactive policing are required to restore confidence and ensure free movement along the strategic Akure-Owo axis.