By Ridwanullah Sakariyah
Residents of Omugo community in Oro-Ago District, Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State have deserted their homes after a recent abduction attack, leaving the area almost empty.
The mass movement followed the kidnapping of eight elderly worshippers during a Sunday service at the Evangelical Church Winning All about 18 days ago.
At a press briefing in Ilorin, a community spokesman, Jimoh Olaitan, said fear of another attack forced many residents to leave. He said only local vigilantes and hunters now remain to guard abandoned homes.
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He said, “Omugo community is deserted. People are moving out in droves. If you go there now, you will only meet vigilantes and hunters who are securing the property left behind. We have a police post but no police personnel manning the station.
“We are appealing to the state government to restore security to the community so that our people can go back home to carry out their daily activities.”
He raised a concern about the absence of security personnel at a police post in the area, saying the station is unmanned.
Olaitan said the kidnappers first demanded N1 billion for the release of the victims, but later reduced it to N150 million. He added that the amount is beyond what the families and the community can afford.
He said, “Reports from contacts with the abductors indicate that an initial ransom demand of N1 billion was made and later reduced to N150 million, an amount far beyond the financial capacity of the victims’ families and the community.”
Olaitan said this is the third attack on the community in six months. He described the latest incident as a direct attack on the safety and freedom of residents.
“This is the third time in six months that the shadow of terror has fallen upon our land. This time, the predators succeeded, turning a day of worship into a nightmare of blood and tears.”
The community called on the state government and security agencies to step in and restore order. They asked for a joint security operation to rescue the victims and protect lives and property.
He added, “In the light of this development, the community urged the federal, state and Ifelodun local governments and all relevant security agencies to launch a coordinated, intelligence-driven rescue operation to secure the safe and unconditional release of the abducted worshippers; immediate deployment of police personnel, equipment, and logistics to activate the station and ensure a permanent security presence; establishment of a permanent Joint Task Force (JTF) base in Omugo and integration of local vigilante and hunter groups.”
He urged authorities to deploy police officers and equipment to the area and establish a permanent joint task force base. He also called for better coordination with local vigilantes and hunters already on the ground.
Residents say they will not return home until security improves and the abducted worshippers regain freedom.
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