Community in disarray over kidnappers’ onslaught

Palpable fear and anxiety yesterday enveloped Alag baka community of Ondo state,when four hefty men and a woman suspected to be kidnappers stormed the area.

The kidnappers,it was learnt, were searching for a 33year old shoe and bag designer,Segun Odunwo,who has been on their waiting list, for his alleged involvement in the arrest of one of them, during an operation they carried out in the area, late last year.

The gang had operated successfully in the area, abducting their victim, before their operation was foiled by Segun and some youths in the community.

It was further gathered that the suspected kidnappers ran into a nearby forest with their victim, an SSS 11 student, whose name was simply given as Toyin, but it was learnt that nemesis later caught up with one them, after  Segun, who is also  member of a vigilante group in the area and some youths, acting on a tip off and his team, pursued the gunmen to their hideout, arresting one of them.

The Chairman of the community, who preferred his name, not mentioned, for security reasons, hinted that residents of the area have been going through unpalatable experiences in the hands of the kidnappers,who wrote them, that they were out on a vengeance mission.

“Last year alone, they visited us, more than twice and on two different occasions they attempted to attack the residence of Segun’s parents. Each time they came, they destroyed some valuables, throwing the entire community into confusion,” he said.

The Chairman explained that again, early this year, some strange faces were sighted in the community, stressing “a lady amongst them, we gathered asked one of our children to show her where Segun lived, so that they could attack the place.”

Already, uneasy calm has pervaded the entire community, with residents not staying outside beyond 8pm, for fear of possible attack on them by the dreaded kidnappers, who, sources said, had vowed to attack the shoe and bag designer whenever and wherever  he is sighted.

Commercial activities have been on low ebb in the area as market men and women in the community have resorted to retiring to their homes before 7pm to avoid being attacked by the suspected kidnappers.