Some aggrieved residents of Ilu Abo in Akure North Local Government Area, Ondo State, on Saturday, staged a protest over what they described as incessant kidnappings and worsening insecurity in their agrarian community.

The protest followed a late-night attack on Friday, when suspected gunmen reportedly stormed Olaribigba Estate in Ilu Abo and abducted a couple in a brazen operation.

The victims, identified as a butcher, Jamiu Olawale, and his wife, were said to be returning home from their shop in an ash-coloured Toyota Camry when the assailants struck.

Witnesses said the attackers also shot a neighbour, Patrick Ilumaro, who was seated in front of his residence at the time of the incident.

He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Ondo State Police Command, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, said the command had commenced investigations and intensified efforts to rescue the victims and apprehend the perpetrators.

Angered by the development, residents barricaded the busy Owo/Benin highway, grounding vehicular movement for several hours.

Peoples Gazette reports that motorists and travellers were left stranded, as protesters insisted they would not reopen the road until authorities take concrete steps to address the security crisis.

One of the protesters, Adekunle Adeleye, lamented that the community had become unsafe due to frequent abductions for ransom.

He recalled how he narrowly escaped being kidnapped last year near the Akure Airport and accused the government of not doing enough to protect residents.

“We can no longer tolerate this. Kidnapping now happens almost daily. It is troubling and disheartening. People cannot sleep with both eyes closed anymore. In the past few weeks, no fewer than 10 persons have been abducted in Akure North alone.

“We pay taxes. It is the government’s responsi1bility to protect us. We have resorted to self-help, but it is not enough. They must listen to our plight,” Mr Adeleye said.

The demonstrators called on Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to urgently intervene and personally visit the community to assess the situation and reassure residents of their safety.

They warned that without swift action, farming and commercial activities, the backbone of the local economy, could be severely disrupted.

The latest development comes two days after suspected gunmen stormed the Agamo community and killed the monarch, Oba Kehinde Falodun, in a failed kidnap attempt.

The assailants, said to be about 10 in number, reportedly invaded the monarch’s residence in what residents described as an attempted abduction of the royal father and members of his household.