According to news gathered from Punch, residents of Ekiti Local Government Area in Kwara State are living in constant fear due to the increasing cases of kidnapping and killings in the region. Speaking with Sunday PUNCH on Friday, locals revealed that they feel helpless as assailants continue their terror without significant intervention.

The alarming situation worsened when three women were abducted in Igbaja, Ifelodun Local Government Area last Sunday, with kidnappers demanding a ransom of N30 million for the release of two victims. These cases follow the recent murder of Lukman Balogun, the commander of a vigilante group, who was killed by kidnappers during a raid on the community in September.

Also, 20 people travelling in three different vehicles from Kwara to Kogi State were abducted by about 10 gunmen along the Osi/Obbo-Aiyegunle road in the Ekiti Local Government Area of the state in August.

In a video seen on social media by our correspondent, a vigilante officer, whose name was not mentioned, narrated how he was shot by kidnappers and left for dead in Isapa community.

According to him, the AK-47-wielding kidnappers, dressed in military camouflage, abducted residents from different parts of the local government every three days.

He showed the gunshot wound on the right side of his waist, urging the government to ensure the security of the lives and property of the people.

He narrated, “After they shot me, they told me to lie on the floor, and they took my gun and all the bullets I had. I spent eight days in the hospital. I could only walk after the fourth day. When I got home, some CID (policemen) came from Ilorin; they caught some Fulani herdsmen and asked if I knew them.

“Four days ago, they kidnapped 10 people, and yesterday, they kidnapped another 10. They have just found the corpse of one of the kidnapped victims. The police have abandoned us,” he lamented.

Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, a resident of Osi, Kehinde Olaitan, lamented that the assailants had made life unbearable for them.

He said, “They (kidnappers) have turned this area into a nightmare. Nobody is safe anymore because you can be inside your house, and they will walk in and kidnap you. The government is not doing anything about our situation.”