Aiyedatiwa vows to tackle kidnappers in Ondo, warns sponsors of crime
Ondo State Governor, Dr Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has vowed that criminal syndicates operating in the state will face justice, pledging a firm crackdown on kidnappers and their collaborators. He warned that no sponsor or godfather of criminal activities would be spared once identified.
The governor made the declaration on Tuesday during a meeting with stakeholders and leaders of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), where rising security concerns, particularly the resurgence of kidnapping for ransom, were discussed.
Governor Aiyedatiwa expressed concern over increasing abduction incidents in some communities, noting that one area had recorded three separate kidnapping cases in just two months.
“Crime is usually carried out by syndicates, some Fulani, some locals. Some provide information about movements while others take victims into the forest,” he said.
He revealed that security agencies had arrested about 90 suspects linked to kidnapping and related offences, with several already providing confessional statements. The governor also addressed a protest by youths in the Ilu Abo area, urging communities to avoid uncoordinated demonstrations that could be hijacked by criminals.
Aiyedatiwa noted that some criminal elements displaced by operations in neighbouring states such as Kwara and Kogi were attempting to move into Ondo State, often using cattle herding routes to shield their movements. He emphasised the need for cooperation with herders’ associations to identify these elements.
The governor added that the government was considering requests from the Fulani community to establish vigilante groups among their members to assist in security operations, under the supervision of official security agencies, and that logistics support would be provided for surveillance within herders’ communities.
Ali Abubakar Maunde, chairman of the state chapter of MACBAN, stressed that criminal activities should not be blamed solely on Fulani herders. “There are many people behind these crimes, not just Fulani alone. But we, as representatives of the Fulani, are working day and night to eradicate bad elements among us,” he said, adding that local vigilante groups would help identify criminals and improve security.
