Angry residents of Ondo State brought traffic to a standstill on the Akure/Owo highway on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, using the corpses of attack victims to block the road. The protest followed a violent incident in the Akure North Council area where gunmen shot dead two people and abducted three others.
Among those kidnapped is Joseph Aladesuyi, identified as the scribe of a Local Council Development Area (LCDA). Aladesuyi was seized along with two others on his farm in the Ilu-Abo community near Akure Airport. The kidnappers have demanded a ransom of 100 million naira for his release, underscoring the financial motivations behind the attack.
The situation escalated when Ondo State Police Commissioner CP Adebowale Lawal attempted to visit the scene. Protesters turned him back—a stark rejection of police authority that signals eroding public trust in security institutions. This refusal complicates investigation efforts and highlights the community's frustration over perceived insecurity.
This incident reflects broader regional security challenges. In a separate development in Benue State, a Makurdi court ordered two farmers remanded on charges including criminal conspiracy, robbery, culpable homicide, and acts of terrorism. Prosecutors allege they killed a man and stole his motorcycle valued at over 1 million naira.
The Ondo protest represents a tipping point in community-police relations, raising urgent questions about security response, ransom economies, and civil disobedience in regions grappling with violent crime.
