Owukpa, a district in Ogbadibo Native Authorities Space of Benue State, has grow to be a protected haven for kidnappers.
On the final depend, over ten communities are underneath siege, with kidnappers unleashing terror on the populace.
Residents of the as soon as serene communities of Ankpa, Odobe, Umufu, Ubafu, Atamaka, Ai-Fam and their surrounding areas at the moment are gripped with worry, as prison parts terrorise them with impunity.
Commuters usually are not spared.
Arogidigba World Journal noticed that over the previous 5 months, greater than 100 individuals have fallen sufferer to kidnappings, with sure routes proving extra lethal.
The Aho-Ankpa street and Atakama-Ugbugbu street have gained notoriety as hotspots for the prison actions.
Additionally, the Orokam-Owukpa street and Okpoga-Aifam street have witnessed a number of incidents.
This has raised considerations concerning the security of vacationers alongside these routes.
Arogidigba World Journal learnt that just lately, a household of eight was kidnapped on Atamaka street.
The abductors threatened to kill them over the household’s failure to offer the ransom they demanded on time.
The victims, who had been held captive for days, recounted their traumatic expertise.
Daniel, one of many survivors, disclosed that the kidnapping occurred round 2 pm however they reached the abductors’ camp by 10 pm.
He advised our reporter that the criminals communicated in each Hausa and Fulani languages fluently.
This growth has instilled worry in Owukpa residents, prompting them to maneuver in convoys for security.
A local of the group, merely recognized as John, was in the course of the yuletide kidnapped on his wedding ceremony evening whereas coming back from Aho Ogbo market. The household needed to pay a ransom for his launch.
Equally, one Engr Raymond and his spouse, Mrs Cordelia Agada had been additionally kidnapped alongside the Owukpa-Aifam-Okpoga street in current occasions.
Annoyed by the escalating threats, the ladies of Owukpa in 2023 invoked the deity Ekwuanya in opposition to any son of Owukpa concerned in kidnapping actions.
Nevertheless, this non secular intervention appeared to have minimal or no impact on curbing the prevailing menace.
Regardless of the presence of local people guards, kidnappers perform their operations with impunity.
HRH Emmanuel Odeh, the standard ruler of Ogbadibo, in an interview with Arogidigba World Journal, expressed deep concern concerning the alarming safety state of affairs.
He recognized the vulnerability of Owukpa because of its proximity to neighbouring states Enugu and Ebonyi, porous borders, and huge forest areas as the key causes behind the mayhem.
Odeh criticised the federal government’s insufficient response, mentioning the scarcity of regulation enforcement personnel in Owukpa and the ban on civilian gun possession, leaving residents defenseless in opposition to well-armed kidnappers.
He mentioned, “The insecurity concern in Owukpa is effectively past our management, primarily because of our proximity to 2 neighbouring states- Enugu and Ebonyi.
“This leaves us susceptible to exterior assaults, compounded by the in depth forest areas that present cowl for kidnappers.
“The crux of the matter lies within the inadequate efforts from the federal government.
“As an illustration, Owukpa lacks even six policemen and significant areas like Eke Akpa, Aho Ogbo, Ipole Owukpa or Ai Fam haven’t any police presence by any means.
“I’ve been requesting this for over 10 years, however the authorities claims they lack a adequate variety of cops.
“This can be a severe concern for a group with a inhabitants of over 139,000.
“Compounding the issue is the truth that these trying to confront the criminals are armed solely with dane weapons, a stark mismatch in opposition to the subtle weapons wielded by the perpetrators.”
Amos Agada, the Commander of Constabulary Police in Ehaje II, expressed deep concern concerning the state of affairs, describing it as disturbing.
He advised Arogidigba World Journal, “As we communicate, nowhere is protected in Owukpa once more. In the meanwhile, they’re significantly working in Ipiga Ai-Odu.
“In reality, simply yesterday, they hijacked a fully-loaded bus and kidnapped all passengers. They haven’t even contacted the households but.”
He additionally lamented the dearth of important weapons for the vigilante group within the village to confront the abductors.
Nevertheless, he burdened the necessity for extra help from the federal government, notably within the provision of weapons to boost their effectiveness in tackling the safety challenges.
“We’re doing our greatest with the restricted assets obtainable, however further help, particularly within the type of weapons, is essential to bolster our efforts in opposition to these criminals,” he mentioned.