HUNDREDS of road users in Ekiti State, were stranded for hours, on Wednesday, as residents of Ajebamidele area of Ado Ekiti, took to the highway to protest the abduction of four residents by gunmen.
The protest which took place on Ado-Ikere highway started at about 7.00am leaving hundreds of motorists stranded.
The kidnapping incident, was said to have taken place on Tuesday, at Goshen Land Community in Ajebamidele.
The protests paralysed economic activities in the area as shops and business centres were shut at press time.
The protesters said a couple, Mr and Mrs Falomo and a pastor were among the victims.
Mrs Falomo was said to have been trailed to her residence by the kidnappers who were said to be armed with AK-47 rifles while her husband was kidnapped during a rescue mission.
According to the protesters, the kidnappers fired several gunshots into the air to scare residents.
The other two victims were said to have been kidnapped as the gunmen were making their way out of the community.
They said Policemen from the Ologede Police Station, along Ikere Road, arrived at the crime scene shortly after the kidnappers had left.
Also, some of them decried the level of insecurity in the land and called on both federal and state governments to urgently do something to save them from criminals.
Some of their placards read, “Save Us From Kidnappers,” “We Are No Longer Safe, Government Come To Our Rescue,” “Ajebamidele On Fire, Kidnappers Have Taken Over,” “No Movement On The Road Until Government Stops Kidnapping,” “Citizens Are No Longer Safe, What Is Happening,” “Security Is A Dividend of Democracy, Give It To Us,” “Ajebamidele Must Be Free From Kidnappers and Robbers,” among others.
The Chairman of Goshen Landlords Association, Mr Samuel Fasua, said the protest was staged to draw the attention of government to the incident for the authorities to do something urgent to save the beleaguered residents.
