By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
Protest rocked the capital city of Ondo state, Akure, on Tuesday, as residents mostly women took to the streets, protesting over the abduction of nine surveyors at the site in Ilu Abo, in Akure North Local Government Area of the state.
The protesters who marched through the streets of Akure and converged on the Governor’s office in Alagbaka disclosed that the nine surveyors were abducted by some gunmen while working on the site since last week Tuesday.
The protesters, who converged as early as 8 am, condemned the surge in the rate of kidnapping in the state in the recent time and called on the state government to rise up to the ugly development.
The protesters, who were mostly women, called on Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to take quick and decisive actions in checking activities of kidnappers, killer herdsmen and other criminals who have penetrated the communities in the state.
Speaking on behalf of the market women, the leader of the Comfort Afolabi, explained that the nine surveyors were working on the site when the armed men suddenly emerged from the bush and ordered them to away to unknown destination.
According to her, the hoodlums had contacted the families of the kidnapped men, demanding N100m as ransom to secure the freedom of the nine men.
She said the kidnappers initially agreed to N50m but after some days, they decided to raise the ransom to N100m and insisted that there is no going back on the ransom.
Speaking to the protesters on behalf of the governor, the Special Adviser on Union Matters and Special Duties, Bola Taiwo, said the state government is taking the issue of security seriously and not pretending about it.
He, however, blamed the abducted surveyors for going to the site without security operatives after collecting huge money from their client.
Taiwo noted that those behind the abduction of the surveyors are living with the community and the community should be fished out within the community.
He said: “We shall speak with your leaders if they have reported the incident to the police. If they have not reported to the police, they should go there that’s when the government would act.
“Nowadays, any surveyors going to site should go with police escorts; if they do, no gunmen would abduct them. No one can kidnap anyone without internal collaborators.
“You shall now go back to Ilu-Abo and cry out to those who abducted the surveyors to release them.
“No Hausa or Fulani man can come to Ilu-Abo and kidnap without the connivance of one of the natives.
“It is your people that kidnapped the nine surveyors. We will meet with your leaders and discuss with them.”