Suspected armed bandits have allegedly issued threat letters to communities in Odeda Local Government Area of Ogun State, warning of planned mass kidnappings targeting schoolchildren, triggering renewed fear across rural settlements.
Local hunters in the area say the latest threats have heightened tension in already vulnerable communities, coming barely two weeks after a petrol station manager was abducted and later released following payment of ransom.
Chairman of the Hunters’ Association in Odeda Local Government Area of Odeda Local Government Area, Festus Ogundairo, raised the alarm during a live programme on a radio station in Abeokuta, saying residents are increasingly anxious over worsening insecurity and suspected bandit movements within the council area.
Ogundairo disclosed that the earlier abduction occurred in the vicinity of a filling station located beyond a secondary school in the area, adding that the victim was kidnapped at about 7 p.m. before being released after ransom was paid.
“About two weeks ago, a man was kidnapped in Odeda, around the area beyond the secondary school. He was the manager of a filling station and was taken at about 7 p.m. He was later released after ransom was paid,” he said.
He, however, said the situation had taken a more troubling dimension following alleged intelligence circulating on social media, suggesting that armed groups had issued warnings of coordinated attacks on schools within identified towns and villages in the local government area.
“But what is becoming more disturbing is what we are seeing on social media, reports that bandits have sent letters threatening to come and kidnap schoolchildren. They even mentioned specific towns and villages within our Odeda Local Government Area,” he added.
The hunters’ leader said security operatives had begun precautionary measures to forestall any attack, but stressed that local security networks remain overstretched and under-equipped.
He appealed to the Ogun State Government and security agencies to urgently provide operational support, insisting that local hunters, who understand the terrain, are critical to effective community defence.
“We need bullets and good guns to battle these terrorists. Even though the law restricts us from carrying sophisticated weapons, the government should at least provide us with the ones we are permitted to use. We are ready to confront these criminals,” Ogundairo said.
He also called for the provision of motorcycles to enhance mobility during patrols across forests and remote settlements, noting that many of the suspected routes used by criminals are inaccessible by vehicles.
“We need motorcycles too,” he added.
The hunters further urged stronger collaboration between vigilante groups and conventional security agencies, warning that delayed response to rural security threats could embolden criminal groups targeting schools and isolated communities.
According to them, residents are increasingly relying on local intelligence networks due to limited security presence in several parts of the council area.
FOLLOW US
FOR MORE HERE
