4 News Kidnapping, Political Violence On The Rise In Osun

Ismaeel Uthman

KIDNAPPING and poli cal violence are rearing their ugly head again in the State of Osun.

The spate of kidnapping, par cularly in Osogbo and Iwo area has been frightening residents of the state who raised concern over their safety.

OSUN DEFENDER noted that four cases of kidnapping have been recorded in the state so far.

Two of the kidnapping cases were recorded in Osogbo while the other two were recorded in Iwo axis of the state.

It would be recalled that on January 14, 2023, a housewife simply idenfied as Gbemisola was abducted by some persons in Osogbo, according to Osun Security Networks, codenamed Amotekun.

A statement by the Command’s spokesperson, Idowu Yusuf, said the vic m was kidnapped in her residence at Technical College Area.

Gbemisola has not been found as of the me of filing this report.

On Wednesday, January 11, two farmers, Samuel Oladotun and Tobilola Fashola, were kidnapped at Okeosun area of Ileogbo, Ayedire Local Government of the State of Osun.

Oladotun and Fashola were released a er six days in cap vity with N10m ransom.

Three of their rela ves who had gone to pay ransom in Kogi were also abducted before they were released the third day.

On Friday, January 20, three farmers were also kidnapped by gunmen on their farmland located in Ologun area of Iwo, Iwo Local Government.

The farmers are: Hamzat Ibrahim, Deere Ibrahim and a 38-year-old man, whose name was yet to be iden fied.

The kidnappers were said to have demanded N5m for their release.

One of the vic ms had reportedly escaped from cap vity while the two others were s ll with the kidnappers.

A member of Union Bap st Church, OdiOlowo Osogbo, Mrs. Olayinka Tosin Kayode and her child were kidnapped by unknown gunmen around 6PM on Tuesday, January 24, around Otaefun/Kobongbogboe, Osogbo while returning home from her shop.

However, the vic ms were released yesterday.

OSUN DEFENDER noted that this is the first- me kidnapping inci- dence would be occurring in Osogbo.

The Ijesa axis of the state was notorious for kidnapping cases in recent past.

Police, OPC React, Reassure Residents Of Safety

Reac ng to the spate of kidnapping in the state, the police said it is re-strategising to secure the state and cleanse it off criminal ac vi es.

Police Public Rela ons Officer, Osun Command, Mrs. Yemisi Opalola, allayed the fear of the people, saying that the police will for fy the state and ensure that all criminal elements are arrested or chased away from the state.

She said: “The police are re-strategising and I can assure you that all the people involved in these criminal ac vi es will be arrested and prosecuted. We are on our toes, we are not res ng and we cannot un l Osun is safe and secure for the residents.

“I want to assure the people of the state that their safety is guaranteed. We are on top of the situa on.”

Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER in an interview, the Chairman of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Fedrick Fasehun’s fac on, Alh. Adeleke Akintayo, noted that the kidnappers are nonresidents of the state.

According to Akintayo, the people involved in kidnapping ac vi es could be described as invaders who came into the state to kidnap.

He said: “All hands are on deck. We are working hand-in-hand with the police to curb crime. Some of those behind these kidnappings are not living in Osun. They only come to the state to operate. But we are at alert. The civilian Joint Task Force of OPC, Vigilante, Agbekoya are trying to stop these kidnappers in every corner.

“We just implore the ci zens of the state to report suspicious movement to the security agents. We need the support of the people of the state in figh ng crimes. The security cannot do it all alone. We need to work together to make the state free from any form of banditry.”

In his reac on, the Coordinator of Gani Adams led fac on of the OPC in the state, Chief Deji Aladesawe, urged the government and police to empower local security groups in the fight against crimes.

Aladesawe stated that only collabora ve effort can make the state secure and peaceful, adding that the OPC is reading to support the government and police on that.

He said: “The government and police need to empower local security groups. We also need their supports. I cannot mobilise my men to any scene of kidnapping without the consent of the Commissioner of Police and the Governor of the state. There should be synergy among the conven onal and local security agencies.”

Cases of Poli cal Violence

Besides, OSUN DEFENDER noted that poli cal violence such as a acks on poli cal opponents and destruc on of campaign billboards have become a nightmare for poli cians in the state.

Members of Labour Party and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ijesaland have constantly been repor ng a acks on them and their campaign billboards in the area by poli cal thugs.

This is just as the Osun West Senatorial candidate of the APC, Dr. Amidu Tadese and his supporters were reportedly a acked on Tuesday at Ward 9, Ikire, Irewole local government area of the state.

Some of the campaign vehicles of Tadese were vandalized by the poli cal hoodlums allegedly working for the Peoples Democra c Party (PDP).

Ikire is the hometown of PDP candidate in the senatorial district, Akogun Lere Oyewumi.

But Oyewumi distanced the PDP from the a ack on Tadese and his supporters, alleging that it was the APC members that launched a ack on members of his party while returning from campaign.

Oyewumi said a member of the PDP in Ikire was killed when the APC allegedly a acked his supporters.

Intervene In Extortionate Practices Of Agents, House Seekers Beg Govt.

Kazeem Badmus

SOME residents of the State of Osun, especially those who are seeking house and shop rent have appealed to the state government to intervene in the extor onate prac ces of caretakers and agents.

The residents urged state government to come to their aid and stop the ‘extor on of accommoda on seekers by the caretakers and agents’.

Lamen ng what they described as unbearable charges the caretakers and agents place on accommoda on seekers in Osogbo, Ikirun, Ilesa and Ile-Ife, the residents asked the government to regulate their ac vi es before it gets out of hand.

Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER, a corps member, Adedamola Azeez, who was recently posted to Osun, decried what she called “unfaithfulness and callousness’ of the agent she approached for accommoda on.

Narra ng what transpired between her and the agent, Azeez said: “I redeployed from Kogi and on ge ng to Osogbo, I asked a friend of mine about how I could secure accommodaon and she linked me up with a house agent.

“I called the house agent and he asked me to meet him in his office. I got there and the first thing he asked for was a consulta on fee. He said I had to pay N1500 before he could take me to the available apartments.

“Since I had no choice, I paid him but to my surprise, when we got to the first apartment, he asked me to pay the bike man that took us there, I told him I had already paid him but he said that was just for him taking me out.

“A er checking four apartments, I saw the one I like and I asked him how much was the house rent. He told me the house rent was N75,000 but the total pack- age is N150,000. He said the agent fee is N50,000 while lawyer will collect N25,000 just for a single room selfcontain.

“I couldn’t say anything again because I was dumbfounded. I le in anger. This is pure extor on and it seems these house agents don’t have the fear of God”.

A resident of Owode Ede, Komolafe Abiodun, in his submission, urged the state government to look into the issue and restore normalcy to issue rela ng to house rent ma ers in the state.

According to Abiodun, house agents and caretakers were found of collecting between N50,000 to N70,000 for an apartment of N200,000 rent, adding that the minimum amount most of the agents collect was N15,000 for a single room.

“What house agents in Osogbo are doing is pure corrup on. They are making life difficult for accommodaon seekers and I think the government needs to look into this. osun Defender observed that a 2 bedroom apartment with full POP goes for N300,000 to N500,000 with an agent fee of N70,000 to N100,000.

“I think there is a need for the government to regulate their ac vi es. Their charges are unbearable and these people don’t see it as anything.

“The major problem we have is that the yahoo guys are willing to pay anything and the house agents are using that yards ck for everyone”.

Also, a room and parlour self contain in Osogbo is between N180,000 to N250,000 with an agent fee of N40,000 to N70,000.

A single room self contain is between N80,000 to N150,000 with an agent fee of N30,00 to N50,000

In Osogbo, majority of the campaign billboards of Senator Ajibola Basiru, the Osun Central Senatorial candidate of the APC, have been destroyed.

Also, some of the campaign billboards of the PDP candidate in Osun Central Senatorial District, Mr Olubiyi Fadeyi, have also been vandalized.

The House of Representa ves candidate of the Labour Party in Ijesa South Federal Cons tuency, Mr. Gideon Aloba, said no fewer than seven of his campaign billboards have been destroyed.

Aloba accused supporters of the PDP of destroying his campaign billboards.

According to Aloba, the PDP has been sponsoring a coordinated attack on his campaign billboards in Ilesa East, Atakunmosa East and Atakunmosa West local governments. Aloba who was bit-

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