Imeko-Afon Local Government Area. Inset: Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State
The people of Imeko-Afon Local Government Area of Ogun State has appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun to as a matter of urgency come to their rescue and help them from incessant attacks of Fulani kidnappers and criminal herdsmen who are disrupting the peace and progress of their communities.
This renewed call was necessitated again by the recent abduction of one Master Daniel Timileyin Oparinde; a student of Babcock University who was kidnapped upon invasion of his house at Celestial City area of Imeko amidst heavy and sporadic shooting around 9:30 P.M on Wednesday.
Speaking to newsmen in Imeko, the Chairman of Yewa People Development Council (Imeko/Afon Local Government Area Chapter), Comr. Olutunde Aninkan berates the unfortunate episode and appealed to the governor and security chiefs in the state to rise to the occasion.
“Presently,it is only God that can save us from an impending famine that may further exacerbate our present suffering as majority of our farmers have been forced by killer herdsmen to desert their farms.” Come. Aninkan noted.
He continued: “As if that is not enough, the new trend of insecurity in our community is kidnapping of our traders for ransom. Within a year now, not less than ten people have been kidnapped at intervals and hard earned millions of naira collected as ransom”.
“And in most cases, many of these victims were forced to collect loans to pay the ransom in order to save their lives” Aninkan noted, adding that: “the most perturbing part of the latest kidnapping is that the father of the victim was abducted in similar circumstance in less than a year ago”.
Comr. Aninkan regretted that the family is still yet to recover from the damage and therefore pleaded passionately with the Chief Security Officer of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun to hasten action and see to urgent rescue of Daniel out of the kidnapper’s den.
“The Governor also needs to be more concerned about our welfare and security since these are the primary responsibilities of government to its people in this area and ensure lasting peace is restored to our community”, he added.
In similar reaction, the President of National Association of Imeko Students (NAIMS), Comr. O. Olaokun who expressed shock at the incident enjoined the security personnel, community leaders and the state governor to expedite action and see to the immediate rescue of the victim.
”Timileyin Oparinde is one of us and the student body is speaking with every sense of solidarity with him. We need the governor to realise that we know him as a responsible father and a responsive governor, that is why we are on our knees appealing to him to urgently save one of us from the captivity of the abductors. He is supposed to have gone back to school to continue his study in the process of building a good future for himself, Mr Governor please do something urgently” Comr. Olaokun pleaded.
