The Oke-Ogun Development Consultative Forum (ODCF) has described the continued abduction of farmers for ransom in the region as condemnable, while calling on the Federal and State governments to find a lasting solution to the trend.
The president of the group, Alhaji Ahmed Raji SAN, while addressing journalists, noted that the kidnapping activities are crippling the source of food items for the common people, in addition to the collection of ransom by the perpetrators.
There are several reported cases of abduction of farmers apart from the recent abduction of four farmhands, including the manager of a poultry farm and his girlfriend, who were abducted at the Oyo State Farm settlement along Iseyin-Ipapo-Saki road in Iseyin local government.
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The search for the four kidnapped farmers has been on since that day, as the local security men, police and military personnel have been on the trail of the kidnappers till the time of writing this report.
Raji also used the occasion to call on religious leaders to intensify prayers towards ridding Nigeria, Oyo State and the Oke-Ogun region of unpalatable occurrences, saying only prayers and concerted efforts by all will make peace sustainable.
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The ODCF President, while commending the prompt response of the security agencies to the incident, called on the leadership of the Nigerian police and military to increase the presence of their men in the Oke-Ogun zone to discourage criminality and called on farmers to be vigilant.
“Now is the time for our people to be cognizant of those things that happen around them and give prompt information to the security agencies to work on before a crime is committed. We shall overcome this. Raji said.
