Ondo: Women Protest As Nine Surveyors On Site Are Abducted

By Ayodele Oni

A gale of protest rocked Akure, Ondo State capital on Tuesday as some residents took to the streets, demanding action on the abduction of nine Surveyors at Ilu-Abo, a suburb of the State capital.

The victims were on a job site when they were seized by armed men last week.

The demonstration saw placard-wielding women blocking the busy Oba Adesida Road, disrupting traffic as they called on security agencies to secure the release of the kidnapped victims.

One of the protesters, Comfort Afolabi, whose brother is among the abducted Surveyors, said the kidnappers initially demanded N50 million as a condition to begin negotiations but later raised the ransom to N100 million.

“We have been pleading with them, but they insist they won’t release our loved ones unless we pay the full amount. We are helpless and need the government to intervene.”

The latest abduction adds to the growing wave of kidnappings in Ondo State.

Last week, a farmer and his manager were abducted while returning from their farm in Osi, Oba Ile area.

Reacting to the situation, the Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Wilfred Afolabi, acknowledged the security challenges facing the state but admitted that the command was struggling with inadequate logistics to combat rising criminal activities.

“The issue of kidnapping is a serious concern, and we are doing everything within our capacity to address it. However, we need better resources to strengthen our operations.”