By Lateef Adegbite And Stephen Ubanna
Banditry and Kidnapping which appears to have been common in the north western states of Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto and the north central states of Niger, Taraba including the north eastern states of Borno and Yobe in the recent time appears to have been exported to Ekiti, south western region.
The Bandits who had seen kidnapping as the quickest way of becoming rich as obtained in the north western and north eastern geopolitical region may have extended the operations to Ekiti state to test the ground in the south western geopolitical region. The kidnappers may have turned the south western into a period of mourning and bleak Christmas celebration.
On Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, the Kippers, who no longer fear the security Operatives to operate during day time were said to have ambushed an Ado-Ekiti bound 18 – Seater vehicle at Emure Ille , taking hostage all the 18 passengers on board to an undisclosed location.
The driver of the ill-fated bus, according to an official of the Road Transport Employers Association ]oNigeria, Ado Ekiti Motor Terminal branch, had left the terminal without any sign that there will be road on the road because of the presence of Force Operatives at various checkpoints on the ever busy road. The eports making the rounds in Ekiti, the state Capital, is this particular Sunday, where the bandits had struck on the Ado-Ekiti Road, there scanty police men on the road, an indication that the criminals may have taken it as an advantage to strike with little or no resistance.
The 18- Seater bus which was said to be coming from Onitsha, a Commercial nerve center of Anambra state, south eastern Nigeria, where the passengers who are mostly traders had gone to make purchases to Christmas sales , who were said to have been ambushed and kidnapped on their way of Emure Ile at the outskirts of Emure Owo, clearly showing that they may have had had an informant policing the movement of the bus carrying the passengers.
There are indications that one Sunday Emmanuel who is the driver of the Commercial bus returning from the South eastern of Anambra Commercial nerve center and the 18 passengers and their markets are currently in the custody of the kidnappers , giving them room to demand for N30 million each or N540 million ransom to facilitate their release to rejoin their family members for the Yuletide. celebrations.
Given that the Bandits have no need for the little kids in the bus because of the curse they will bring their head which may expose their dirty deals may have informed why they have abandoned them on the bus and escaped with the parents to the bush.
The kidnappers were said to have used brute force to collect the bus driver phone to reach out to his family members to demand for a ransom of N30million but that was how far they could go. There are indications that two of the male victims who understands the terrain of Emure -Owo very well had escaped while they were being herded into the bush, an indication that the suspects will surely be fished out.
Ekiti state, appears to have become a fertile ground for Bandits turned kidnappers to carry out their nefarious activities between 2021 and now. Recall that in June 2021, the Bandits turned kidnappers had kidnapped Oba Benjamin Oso, the Eda of Ile but his wife was spared, in Ekiti East Local Government of the state . The traditional Ruler who was said to be returning from his farm when he was abducted by the kidnappers, thus making the third royal father in the state to kidnapped at a roll.
Last February, the Elesun of Esun -Ekiti, Oba David Ogunsaki . the Onimojo, of Omojo Ekiti, Oba Samuel Olatunji and the Ara of Ara Ekiti, Oba Adebayo Fatoba, who were said to be on their way from a security meeting at Irele Ekiti had played into the hands of the Bandits who were said to have emerged from the forest . The kidnappers were said to have klled two of the Monarchs, the Onimojo of Omojo -Ekiti, Oba Ogunsaki and the Elesun of Elesun-Ekiti, but were unable to kill the Ara of Ara-Ekiti who was said to have survived the attack.
Worried by the activities of Bandits turned kidnappers in the south west of Ekiti, may have informed why Taoreed Lagbaja, an Army Lt. General and the deceased Chief of Army Staff, CoAS, had deployed a detachment of military personnel to the stat to checkmate the activities of the Bandits turned kidnappers before it gains root as obtained in the north western and north eastern regions.
In spite of the fact that the soldiers were deployed to the state flush out the criminal elements fomenting trouble in the south western state, not much appears to have been achieved as the Bandits are still operating with reckless abandon in the state. Ther are indications that all the Bandits turned Kidnappers operating in Ekiti state have their hideouts in forests across the borders Ondo, Osun, Kogi and Kwara which makes it easy forthem to strike and run back into the bush unhindered.
Many believe that both for the presence of Ametokun, members in the state, as reported by bEbenezer Ogundana, an Army Brig. General, rtd and Special Adviser to the Ekiti state Governor, Abiodun Abayomi Oyebanji, on Security, the kidnap situation in the state would have become more worrisome.
While the Road Transpor Workers Association, Ado Ekiti Terminal are working round the clock to get the driver of the 18 Seater bus kidnapped by AS Assailants released, 15 persons and a year-old boy were said to to have been murdered in cold blood at Ri Do or Gidan Ado, a hamletof Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau state. The Joint Security Task Force in the state, Operation Safe Haven and the Nigerian Police Force, NPF, personnel were said to have started combing the nearby bushes to flush out the bandits.
While the Bandits and Kidnappers may have found a new home Ekiti state to operate and continue their unrestaine attacks in Plateau state, Christopher Musa and Army General and Chief of Defense Staff, CDS, Who had said that the Bandits Gang Leaders including Bello Turji could heave a sigh of relief that the military are working relentlessly to achieving the target.
The arrest and death of Bako Wurji, a bandit gang leader and guns rummer, who was said to have murdered Alhaji Isa Mohammed Nawa, the Emir of Gobir from bullets may have sent a message to the notorious gang Leader, Turji and other gang leaders in Zamfara, Katsina and Sokoto including Niger and Taraba, theier days are numbered an end to banditry and the activities of the Kidnappers across the country soon.
The intensified military operations and blockage of the various illegal routes used by the Bandits to get drug and food supplies from their suppliers may have encouraged the Criminal elements to resort o stealing food items from dealers. The Bandits Group fighters stealing propensity appears to have become more pronounced in the north western states of Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto and Kebbi state this Christmas period . Given the hunger in their Camp may have encouraged who are no longer finding easy to go on kidnapping spree to resort to stealing food items and drinks to remain the business of banditry across the north western states.
On Monday,Dec., 23, 2024, the unrepentant Bandits who were said to have disguised as normal persons on the road had stolen food items and drinks from a man riding motorcycle in the Gidan Abe Community , in Kachia , Local Government Area of Kaduna state and sped off.
The victim was said to have purchased a bag of rice, 50 Kg, drinks and condiments for the family for the Christmas Celebration at Katari, but lost it to the group of Bandits on motorcycles who were said to have blocked his path forcing to get down and run for his dear life. Funny enough, the bandits did not harm or abduct the victim as was their practice in the past to negotiate for ransom but disappeared with the food items to an n disclosed location. The return of the bandits in Kaduna state, this time to steal food items , may have why Olufemi Oloyede, an Army Lt. General and Chief of Army Staff, CoAS, has given a matching order to Maj. General MLD Saraso led Operation Whirlwind and his troops to tighten up security in the state to forestal the bandits from staging a come to the state to harass innocent people going about their normal business. It was not surprising why the military had tightened security at Riyom, Kachia, Chikun, Kaduna south and other flash point Areas in the state which are constantly being patrolled by armed personnel to avoid a repeat of the Katari incident in Kachia LGA: stealing of food items and drinks from victims out of hunger.
The intensified military operations in Kaduna and other parts of the north western state may have emboldened Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone B, Kaduna, under the close watch of Compt. Bello Ahmadou Shuaibu, anti-smuggling officers to tighten up security around the border routes in the north wstern states to ensure that nothing enters or leaves the country to neighbouring Niger or Republic of Benin.
An informed source told The Value News that with the collaboration of the military and Nigerian Police Force, NPF, Operatives, Compt. Shuaibu’s men were said to have maintained a watertight security at the border routes across the flash point north western states. Many believe that the Customs Area Controller could not have done less because Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, the Customs Comptroller General is on the neck of the Interventionist units Area Controllers to intensify their surveillance and operations in their areas of Jurisdiction this Christmas period.
