Ondo state, South west Nigeria is about to be a den of criminals and may be the next security concern for the region and Nigeria in general, if necessary steps are not taken.
The state has enjoyed relative peace over the years just as other South western state,but the proliferation of criminals into the state needs not to be treated with kid gloves.
At the moment, Ondo state is harbouring criminals, militants, kidnappers and Fulani herdsmen.
These set of criminals are found in small villages in Akure, the state capital and the riverine areas of the state which portend a great danger to the security apparatus of the state.
Elder statesman and former Secretary to the Federal Government, Chief Olu Falae was taken captive in Akure by Fulani herdsmen on September 21, 2015 during his 77th birthday.
He was released four days later, after paying about N5 million as ransom.
Few months ago, he was attacked again on his farmland in a more daring approach by the herdsmen, despite the presence of a team of heavily armed 15 policemen.
According to Chief Olu Falae, “They got to the farm and met three separate herds feeding fat on my farm. When the police approached them, they fired at the police. The policemen went there to see if they could effect arrest for trespassing and destroying farm produce. So, if the herdsmen fired at the police what would they do to me?”
As if that was not enough, six Igbonla students who were kidnapped from their school on the 25th of may 2017 in Epe Lagos, were later released in the riverine area of Ondo State.
This was after intense negotiations with the abductors by the Ondo State government on behalf of Lagos state government.
The case of the Igbonla students is one out of many kidnap case in Ondo state.
The recent case of a woman named Victoria who was allegedly raped by some suspected Fulani herdsmen in Ore, in the Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State has affirmed the level of proliferation of criminals in the state.
The Ondo State government is advised to improve the security situation in the state to erase these flash points so that the state won’t be a safe haven for criminals.
