Rising Insecurity Triggers Highway Blockades in Ondo State and Oyo State

Residents of Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State staged a dramatic protest on Tuesday, blocking the Akure–Owo Highway and placing the bodies of victims killed by gunmen on the road.

The protest followed an attack that left two people dead and three others abducted.

The incident occurred less than 24 hours after the kidnapping of Joseph Aladesuyi, Secretary of Okeluju Local Council Development Area in Akoko North West Local Government Area.

Aladesuyi and two others were abducted while working on his farm in Ilu-Abo, near the Akure Airport.

Family members said the kidnappers later contacted them and demanded N100 million for his release.

Residents of Ilu-Abo, Kajola and Owode communities responded by barricading the highway to protest against repeated killings and kidnappings in the area.

They insisted they would not leave the road until Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa personally visited the community.

When the Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, arrived at the scene to calm tensions, the protesters refused to reopen the road.

Lawal assured them that security agencies would intensify operations to protect lives and property.

Placards displayed by protesters carried messages such as “We Are Dying, Save Our Soul” and “Our Children Are in Danger.”

The blockade caused heavy traffic along the highway, a key route linking the southern and northern regions of the country.

A resident expressed frustration over the worsening security situation.

“We are tired of this situation. Almost every day now, we hear about kidnappings around the airport road… People are living in fear, and many farmers can no longer go to their farms. We cannot continue like this.”

Meanwhile, the police said they had arrested suspected kidnap kingpin Abdullahi Lawal in Ikare-Akoko after months of intelligence-led operations.

Police spokesperson Jimoh Abayomi said the suspect had earlier escaped after sustaining gunshot wounds during a confrontation with security operatives.

Oyo Residents Protest Kidnapping

In Oyo State, residents of Jobele in Afijio Local Government Area also staged a protest against rising kidnappings and criminal activities.

The demonstrators blocked the Ibadan–Oyo Road, halting traffic and demanding urgent intervention from security agencies.

According to them, suspected kidnappers attempted to abduct a woman in the area on Monday.

“An attempt was made to kidnap a lady but she narrowly escaped by scaling the fence,” the protesters said.

“Even though she narrowly escaped, she received a deep machete cut in one of her hands.”

Community leader Dolapo Awotunde said the local government had recorded at least seven kidnapping cases in recent times.

He added that one victim of a recent attack eventually had one of his hands amputated due to severe injuries.

Responding to the development, the spokesperson of the Oyo State Police Command, Ayanlade Olayinka, said police authorities had deployed officers to restore normalcy.

“The Commissioner of Police, Haruna, has sent both the Area Commander and the Divisional Police Officer to the spot to restore normalcy on the road,” he said.

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