Ondo Banditry: ADC Asks  Aiyedatiwa To Declare State Of Emergency On Insecurity

By Ayodele Oni

As banditry attack and kidnappings continue in Ondo state, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has advised the state government to cease treating symptoms and instead attack the root causes with decisive, proactive force.

The party condemned the escalating wave of kidnappings, killings, and maiming that has gripped Ondo State in recent times.

A statement on Friday by Kunle Adeloye, State Publicity Secretary, ADC, noted that

“The gruesome murder of Oba Kehinde Falodun, the Alagamo of Agamo in Akure North Local Government right within his palace is most shameful and totally unspeakable.

“While the tension created arising from such dastard act is yet unsettled, the barbaric abduction of innocent worshippers including no fewer than six members of the Celestial Church of Christ during a midnight vigil in Uso, Owo Local Government Area represents yet another horrifying chapter in this unrelenting nightmare.

“Gunmen storming places of worship, highways, farms, and homes have turned our state into a theatre of terror, where no one feels safe.

“We do not know who will be the next victim, and this pervasive fear has paralyzed daily life across communities.

“We are appalled that under the watch of His Excellency, Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, these atrocities continue unabated.

“The recent incidents, including repeated kidnappings along the Akure-Owo Expressway, abductions in agrarian communities like Ilu-Abo, and the brazen attacks that have forced residents to block major highways in desperate protests, expose a glaring failure of leadership and security architecture.

“While we acknowledge recent efforts such as the induction of new Amotekun operatives and arrests of some suspects, these measures remain largely reactive, piecemeal, and insufficient in the face of a sophisticated criminal network operating with impunity.

“The government must cease treating symptoms and instead attack the root causes with decisive, proactive force.

“The economic devastation wrought by this insecurity cannot be overstated. Our farmers, the backbone of Ondo State’s agrarian economy are fleeing their farmlands in droves, abandoning cocoa, cassava, yam, and other crops out of mortal fear of being kidnapped or killed.

“Our highways once bustling with commerce now carry tales of horror, deterring investors, crippling trade, and threatening imminent food shortages that will hit the most vulnerable hardest.

“If this trend continues unchecked, Ondo State risks descending into a humanitarian and economic crisis that no amount of rhetoric can reverse.”

The party advised Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, to declare a state of emergency on insecurity and unveil a comprehensive, time-bound security strategy.

According to it, this should include enhanced intelligence gathering, rapid-response teams deployable within minutes to hotspots, permanent surveillance in forests and rural areas, and strengthened collaboration between Amotekun, the Police, Army, and community vigilantes.

“Security operations can be decentralized to empower local communities and traditional institutions in intelligence and response efforts.

“Your Excellency can as well invest massively in equipping and training security forces to dismantle criminal hideouts, prosecute offenders swiftly through special fast-track courts,  and end the era of ransom payments that only embolden kidnappers.

“It is important to address the underlying socio-economic drivers of crime, including youth unemployment and poverty, to prevent recruitment into these syndicates.

“The people of Ondo State elected Your Excellency to protect our lives and property, not to issue condolences after every tragedy. Enough is enough!

“We are using this medium to call on the government to wake up from your complacency, rise to the occasion, and restore peace, security, and dignity to our state before more innocent blood is shed.”