OPINION: Ondo, A State Under Siege

By Oladayo Osho

In recent months, the peace once enjoyed by the people of Ondo has been replaced by terror. Communities are being ransacked. Innocent citizens are abducted, maimed, and killed. Roads have become hunting grounds for bandits. Families are torn apart. Businesses are shutting down. The people cry out, but those in authority remain silent.

Ondo State, our home and pride, is slipping into an abyss of lawlessness, fear, and anarchy. What we are witnessing is not just a breakdown of security but a complete erosion of governance and leadership at the most critical level.

In recent months, the peace once enjoyed by the people of Ondo has been replaced by terror. Communities are being ransacked. Innocent citizens are abducted, maimed, and killed. Roads have become hunting grounds for bandits. Families are torn apart. Businesses are shutting down. The people cry out, but those in authority remain silent.

This is not political propaganda. It is the raw truth staring every citizen in the face. Ondo State is bleeding, and the government is watching. Our people are dying, and those entrusted to protect them are nowhere to be found. Fear has replaced faith. Despair has overtaken hope. The people feel abandoned, unprotected, and betrayed.

Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, your assumption of office brought hope for a fresh start. The people expected swift action and bold leadership. Instead, they have received silence, indifference, and weakness in the face of crisis. Your response to the spiraling insecurity has been passive and woefully inadequate.

You cannot govern a people you are afraid to face. You cannot lead from behind closed doors while blood spills in the streets. You cannot promise protection and deliver nothing but condolences. Your people are in pain, and it is your duty not only to acknowledge that pain but to act decisively to end it.

Governance is not about speeches. It is about service, sacrifice, and courage in the face of chaos. A leader who cannot guarantee the security of his people has failed in the most fundamental aspect of his job. And a leader who does not act while his people suffer is complicit in their suffering.

The people of Ondo did not elect a spectator. They elected a protector—a champion of their welfare and a defender of their lives and dignity. Leadership is not ceremonial or symbolic. It is practical, visible, and most urgent in times like this.

How many more lives must be lost before real action is taken? How many more families must be displaced before the government wakes up? How long will the governor continue to look the other way while communities are overrun by armed criminals? How long will we pretend all is well when everything is clearly falling apart?

The failure of this administration to proactively address the security crisis is not only disappointing but dangerous. It emboldens criminal elements who now roam freely across our state, placing every law-abiding citizen at grave risk.

Let it be clear: this is not an attack on the governor. It is a demand for responsibility, immediate action, and justice. The people have waited long enough. The time for excuses is over. The time for real leadership is now.

I urge the state government to declare a security emergency. Mobilise all available resources. Engage community leaders. Empower local vigilantes with proper training and coordination. Work hand in hand with federal security agencies. Open channels for intelligence gathering. Create rapid response units. Above all, be present and visible in every affected region.

Enough of selective visits and photo opportunities. What the people need is protection, not propaganda. They need a governor who shows up, listens, and acts—not one who issues generic press releases from the comfort of his office while citizens sleep with one eye open.

To the federal government: Ondo State is not a forgotten territory. It is a vital part of this country and deserves the same urgency and attention given to other troubled regions. The killings and kidnappings in Ondo are not isolated incidents. They are symptoms of a larger failure of national security coordination.

I call on traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil society, and the media to speak out. Silence is no longer an option. We must collectively demand accountability, amplify the cries of the people, and refuse to be intimidated or silenced while our land burns.

To my fellow citizens of Ondo: do not lose hope. You are not alone. Your voices matter. Your lives matter. Continue to speak up, organize, and demand better. We owe it to ourselves, our children, and the legacy of those who built this land with sweat and sacrifice.

This is our state. This is our home. We will not watch it fall apart without raising our voices. We will not allow bad governance to steal our peace and future. We will continue to demand leadership that values life, promotes security, and delivers justice.

Governor Aiyedatiwa, the time for rhetoric is over. This is a defining moment. The legacy you will be remembered for is being written now. You can choose to be remembered as the man who stood up and reclaimed Ondo from chaos, or as the man who watched it fall apart.

History will not forget. And the people will not forgive.

Osho, a Concerned Citizen wrote in  from Lagos