Osun residents cry out over incessant criminal activities

Abimbola Abatta, Osogbo

Residents of Oriade Local Government in Osun have raised the alarm over the increase in criminal activities in the area.

Among the communities which had raised the alarm are Erin Ijesa, Erin Oke, Erinmo Ijesa, Omo Ijesa and Iwaraja all in Oriade Local Government Area.

Recall that, on Sunday night, some suspected gunmen abducted travellers along Omo/Erin-Ijesa road.

According to reports, the travellers were waylaid by gunmen, who took some of them to a nearby bush around Ori-Oke Omo while others were left at the scene.

However, the police, public relations officer, SP Yemisi Opalola disclosed that the abducted victims have been rescued.

In their reactions, the residents called on security operatives not to treat, with levity, the issue of those arrested in connection with rampant terrorisation by kidnappers and armed robbers in the axis.

This warning came on the heels of the purported arrest of an alleged notorious criminal, Oluwole Oguntomilola aka Jombo, who according to them had for many years been disturbing the peace of the community.

One of the residents who spoke under the condition of anonymity revealed that the communities had in the past appealed to the police authorities to bail them from the man who had been arrested several times on alleged criminal activities and illegal possession of firearms.

Oguntomilola had also been alleged to have sold people’s land without authorisation and always got off the hook whenever he was arrested by the police.

It is on record that “Jombo” was arraigned in court and remanded in prison custody in March 2014 for being caught with a rifle.

Meanwhile, pathetic stories of kidnappers had been a regular occurrence in the area.