16
By ORIYOMI OLUFEMI B.
Prominent Ogun State traditional leader, a foremost Jadiara descendant, an heir to the Awujale throne and security advocate, Otunba Ayodeji Osibogun, has raised the alarm over what he described as the “heightened level of abductions” along key corridors in the Ijebu axis, warning that Ogun State risks becoming a safe haven for kidnappers and bandits if urgent action is not taken.
In a statement made available to our correspondent on Friday, Osibogun referenced recent reports by the Food and Farmers’ Rights Campaign, FFRC, which detailed a surge in kidnappings around the Ikangba/Agoro-Okun Owa axis of the old Lagos-Benin Road in Odogbolu Local Government Area.
According to FFRC’s April 27 press release, the axis home to one of the state’s largest catfish farm clusters has recorded monthly abductions since February 9, 2026, when Mr. Adams Omamegbe and four others were kidnapped at Alayo Fish Farm Cluster in Agoro Town.
Subsequent cases include the March 31 abduction of poultry farmer Adewale Amusa from Ayepe Town, and the April 24 kidnapping of retired civil servant Osidipe Olusoji, who remains in captivity. FFRC stated that ransom payments of N70 million and N200 million were made for Omamegbe and Amusa, respectively, with funds allegedly delivered to Omu-Aran, Kwara State.
The pattern is clear, the pain is real, Osibogun said. “From Oke Eri/Imope on the Ijebu Ode–Ibadan Expressway, to Imagbon, to Itele, to Ogunmakin along the Lagos–Ibadan corridor
citizens are taken at will.”
Osibogun noted that the insecurity is triggering a food security crisis, as farmers are abandoning their farms for fear of abduction. “When farmers farm in fear, the whole state eats in fear,” he said. “This is no longer just a security issue. It is an economic crisis”.
FFRC had similarly warned that the “debilitating pervasive insecurity crisis” would not improve without mass civic action, accusing security agencies of “ineptitude” and the Dapo Abiodun-led government of “insensitivity.”
Osibogun endorsed a separate security collaboration proposal sent to AIG Jimoh Olorundare Moshood, Zone 2, Onikan, by a South West-focused NGO. The proposal calls for a joint patrol of the Ibadan–Ijebu Ode Road corridor involving the Nigeria Police Force, Amotekun Corps, Hunters Association, and local vigilantes.
According to the letter dated April 29, the NGO offered to provide Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, UAVs/Drones, to serve as “secret eyes” for patrol teams, with live feeds reporting directly to the AIG’s office for real-time intelligence.
“This is the kind of thinking we need, government and citizens working hand in glove, combining manpower with technology and local knowledge,” Osibogun stated.
Otunba Osibogun urged Governor Dapo Abiodun to “treat this as the emergency it is,” adding: “Winning elections is meaningless if the people you seek to govern are in captivity. Secure Ijebu land first.”
He also called on traditional rulers and community leaders in affected areas to activate “multi-ethnic, non-sectarian” local defense committees, while urging the Nigeria Police Force to approve the proposed joint patrol model.
“The time for press statements alone is over. The time for joint action is now,” Osibogun said. He demanded that forests in the Agoro-Okun Owa axis be combed, kidnappers dislodged, and victims like Mr. Osidipe Olusoji freed. He also called for compensation for families forced to pay ransoms.
Efforts to reach the Ogun State Police Command and the Governor’s Office for comment were unsuccessful as of press time.
Contact
Otunba Ayodeji Osibogun
IJEBU ODE, Ogun State
Tél. : 0803-XXX-XXXX
