Some residents of Lagos State under the aegis of The People’s Forum have advised the federal and state governments and suggested solutions to crimes, especially kidnappings, on Nigeria’s expressways, following recent kidnappings on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
In recent times, kidnappings have reportedly returned to the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and this has become a cause for concern to commuters and residents of Lagos State.
On September 26, 2022, officers of the Ogun State Police Command foiled a kidnap attempt on the Kara Bridge end of the expressway after a gun duel with the kidnappers, and a victim was rescued.
PUNCH Editorial in its November 7 publication noted that at the Ibadan, Oyo State end of the expressway, suspected Fulani bandits attacked travellers on October 27, abducting five persons and killing several others.
The report, referring to the expressway attack, stated that the daring gunmen repelled the police before killing those who resisted them and capturing several travellers whom they took into the forest.
Another report emerged on October 29 which stated how security agents foiled a kidnap attempt on the same expressway on Friday, October 28.
“The kidnap attempt occurred at Imolisa village and which is within the territory of Ogun State, although it is not far from Dominion University which is located within Oyo State. I was told that the security agents had travelled to Lagos Airport to pick up their boss and were returning when they ran into the incident. They were said to have exchanged fire with the criminals but eventually repelled them and chased them away before they could whisk away their targets,” the report quoted the Commandant of the Amotekun Corps in Oyo State, Col. Olayinka Olayanju (retd.), as saying.
In a follow-up report on the October 28 kidnapping, The PUNCH reported that a policeman was killed and another injured during the incident. “During the process of prevailing and preventing further chaos from what was evidently an abduction scenario, an officer attached to the command paid the supreme price with one other badly injured and presently responding to treatment,” the Oyo State Police spokesperson, Adewale Osifeso, was quoted as saying.
Further details emerged of how the abducted a student of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, Ogun State, alongside her graduate sister and an ex-deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics) of the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, Prof. Adigun Agbaje.
The report also highlighted the kidnap incidents that had taken place on the expressway from January 1, 2022.
On January 1, an Instagram user, @kashamadupeadelawal, posted “Our friend and brother were kidnapped in that same Oni-garri and shot dead inside the bush the next day,’’ He was reacting to a post by Nollywood actress, Bimpe Akintunde, who narrowly escaped being kidnapped on the route at the time.
On January 7, a commercial driver, identified as Oluwatosin Aruwajoye, was killed by kidnappers and five passengers were abducted. Their abductors later demanded N30m ransom from their family members.
On Sunday, January 17, seven wedding guests were kidnapped at the Isara-Remo end of the expressway.
One of the victims, Folahan Akinsola, narrated then that they were told to go and raise N15m each for the remaining four victims.
On August 9, a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Gbenga Obaleye, wrote on Facebook that criminals kidnapped 20 persons along Kara Bridge. The police later dismissed the claim as a lie.
On August 16, a teenage student of a private university in Osun State, Ireoluwa Akinlaja, kidnapped along the expressway and later escaped from his captors at Ikorodu, Lagos.
On September 6, a photographer, Olabode Adekunle, narrated to Saturday Punch how he was abducted by teenage Fulani along the Long Bridge on the expressway.
Again, The PUNCH reported how kidnappers in military uniform attacked an 18-passenger bus on Tuesday, November 8, shooting commuters.
These reports and several others across the South-West and other parts of the country got members of The People’s Forum, a group domiciled in Ikorodu, Lagos State, and with membership from different walks of life, talking about possible solutions to these incessant kidnappings and crimes on Nigeria’s expressways.
Speaking to our correspondent, a member of the Forum and academic staff member of the Yaba College of Technology, Hassan Temidayo, fondly called Dee-One by members of the Forum, said there was a need for neighbouring governments of affected highways to set up a joint taskforce patrol.
Speaking specifically about the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway incidents, Dee-One said, “Joint taskforce patrol of Lagos, Ogun and Oyo states” should be considered with “Operation no road block.” He said such should be “strictly patrol.”
He added that the local security outfits, including vigilantes, must be part of the joint taskforce because, according to him, they understood the terrains better.
Another member of the Forum, Dayo Osore, an engineer, said there was need for an increase in the presence of security agents on the expressway.
He added that another measure that the government could consider was to clear the bushes that could serve as hideouts for criminals on the highways.
“Intelligence gathering is, of course, a measure to consider as well,” he further said.
Osore further advised that governments in affected areas should increase the presence of security patrol, stationing patrol teams in about 20 minutes drive apart. He said the huge presence of security officers would keep kidnappers and other criminals off the highways.
Asked if the country had enough officers in its security apparatus for such a presence on highways across the nation, Osore suggested massive recruitments of security officers and called for more local security outfits to be grafted into a taskforce for highway patrols.
Another member, a retired teacher, Mrs Bisi Bello-Mustapha, said the states concerned should have a joint security taskforce to tackle the menace.
She added that the FG must intervene as a matter of urgency, while calling on traditional rulers in affected communities around the highways to cooperate with security operatives in the effort to rid the highways of crimes.
In his own contribution, Mr Ohi Obadan advised that technology (drones to track the criminals) should be deployed.
Obadan added that security agencies must intensify patrols on the highways.
He also said that constant clearing of bushes around the highways for clearer and proper views was necessary.
In addition, Obadan advised governments to organise, sensitise, engage and coordinate youths in the affected communities to be involved in intelligence gathering and security efforts.
He added, “Most importantly, commuters should be discerning enough to take responsibility for their personal safety.”
An information communication technology expert, Wasiu Sobona, said, “For Lagos-Ibadan (Expressway), community policing will solve the issue.
