Kunle Adelabu
-Recorded 5 cases of kidnapping, lost 5 lives
-Call on govt to clear Afa Swamp down to Agunfoye
In the past two years, the Igbe communities under the Igbogbo/Bayeku and Ijede Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) of Ikorodu Division of Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria, have been living in fear and uncertainties as kidnappers took control of the once peaceful, secured and livable communities.
The harrowing and unfortunate reality is that these hoodlums now operate freely without fear. Unlike before when they usually laid siege on isolated locations, the kidnapers now break into houses to abduct their victims which has instilled fear and is also disturbing the residents.
In the course of the last two years or so, there have been about five cases of kidnapping in and around Igbe communities and about five lives have been lost and millions of naira paid as ransoms by the victims’ families and the community in general.
These are without the details of kidnap cases at Agunfoye also in Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA.
These are the ordeals being faced by residents of these areas and they can no longer bear the weight, thus, the call on the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo – Olu, Chairmen, Igbogbo/Bayeku and Ijede LCDAs and the security forces to save their lives and souls.
The residents are calling on the government to as a matter of urgency clear the swamp from Afa to Agunfoye which the kidnappers use as their den and from where they operated and kept their victims.
The latest of the unfortunate incidents happened on Saturday, January 11, 2025, when a woman was kidnapped at Igbe Alagemo, during which a local vigilante guarding the house was killed. Five days after the incident, the kidnappers are yet to make contact with the family.
The incident occurred when residents are yet to recover from the incident of December 16, 2024, at Bond Estate CDA, Igbe Ogunro in Ijede LCDA, when a former female footballer and her friend were kidnapped and spent five days in the swamp. They were released after the payment of N13milion ransom in cash.
While trying to force their hostage into the swamp, the kidnappers macheted one elderly woman and the other was mercilessly beaten. The old woman that was cut with cutlass was still in terrible state when our reporter visited the community last year. A serving naval officer who came out from his compound during the abduction was also shot.
THE IMPACT gathered that the kidnappers also collected power bank, cigarettes, alcohol drinks and bread among others.
Following the ordeal of two ladies and the public outcry that the incident generated our reporter visited the community to engage the stakeholders and some of the victims who narrated their helpless and unfortunate situation. They called on the Lagos State Government and the Ijede and Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDAs to intervene in the matter to ensure security of property and lives.
Pastor Dayo Ewuyemi is the Chairman, Joint CDA Oloja with 11 CDAs out which nine are fully registered -Equitable 1, Equitable Phase II, Equitable Central, Bond Estate, Oloja Central, Harmony CDA, Royal CDA, Peace and Unity and Itunu CDAs under the Ijede and Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDAs. Members of the communities in narrating their ordeal to THE IMPACT told how the kidnappers have been terrorizing Igbe communities and the attendant effects on them.
“We have experienced about four kidnapping cases since the resurgence of the unfortunate incidents. The first incident was along Afa Bridge where we have the abandoned bridge construction. Another one happened at the same place December 2023, when a member of our community returning home with his wife and a 9 – year old child were attacked. The kidnappers shot at their corolla car and took the Alhaji and his wife into the swamp and left only the child alone in the car.”
“The community paid a ransom of over N5million before they were released.
The CDA members furthered, “The one that happened early 2024 really made us grieve so much. It happened to a young lady who has a shop in our community and who was later killed by the kidnappers because the person taking the money to them could not get to them on time.
“He was intercepted by some policemen along the way but they (kidnappers) felt that he was involving the police officers. The Joint Task Force in Igbogbo/Bayeku and Ijede LCDAs and our own vigilantes withstood them for days.
“It was unfortunate that we lost the lady. Moreover, it was not just the lady, but other people in our community. The incident happened at 10am around a school close to us and our local security went after them and they were shot at by the kidnappers, two of them died during the gun exchange while the third one died the next day. We actually lost three people trying to rescue the lady whom they later killed.
“The community was responsible for all the money spent at hospital, mortuary and for the burials of those that died. We were the ones that did all the payment. We were left alone to our ordeal.
“In the same community there was another case which happened to a civil servant who works with the LIRS. In the course of negotiation, it was discovered that the kidnappers are Ijaws. They spoke with the wife of their victim who was an Ijaw woman and when they discovered that she was from their ethnic group they reduced the ransom”, he said.
“We were all up and doing in making sure that we secured the release of the victims. We had to pay a ransom to secure their release”, he recalled the unpleasant experiences that the community has been dealing with.
Pastor Ewuyemi has therefore called on the government to live up to its responsibilities by protecting the lives of residents within the Igbe communities which have been under the siege of the kidnappers who operate freely and recklessly.
The joint CDA Chairman who said that the community has engaged in multiple approaches to tackle the menace also hinted that they are still searching for best possible ways to handle the situation and make their environment secured again.
“The situation is becoming something that is not pleasant at all. We are in dire need of government interventions. The reason for governance is primarily to secure the people and we now need the government more than ever.
“We are looking up to Sanwo – Olu to save our souls in Igbe communities. We want the government and leaders in and around Ikorodu to rise up to the task by assisting us in securing our communities and to safeguard us from kidnappings and killings.
“These people are no longer operating at the Afa Bridge again, but now come through the swamp when the street is a bit quiet and look for whom they can kidnap.
“As a community we are engaging every available tactic. We have engaged operatives in surveillance, also engaged more security and tactical teams to stem the ugly development. We are also trying to engage some other local security outfits to make our people sleep with their two eyes closed.
“We really need the government’s intervention. The incident that happened early 2024, when the kidnapped lady was killed and three of our members died really shook the community, we were the ones that were buying cartridges for the JTF from Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA. We are thankful for the efforts of Builder Sesan Daini for the support given to the joint task force during our ordeal,” he said.
The Chairman, Bond Estate CDA, Igbe Oloja, Mr Abdullahi Jubril, who also spoke with THE IMPACT said that there have been three major successful kidnappings within the Igbe Oloja communities since the incident started.
While narrating his estate’s ordeal during the kidnapping of the former female footballer and her friends, he stated that some elderly people were injured.
“Although the DPO Ijede responded swiftly with her men when we contacted her as soon we messaged her through the WhatsApp channel that she created for emergencies.
“The community people also rose to the occasion, unfortunately, before they could get to the scene, two of my residents have been kidnapped and taken into the swamp. The kidnappers also inflicted injuries on elderly women near the scene. A particular one was macheted on the head while the chairman of our CDA security committee fell into a well while trying to escape their attack and he was severely injured,” he narrated sorrowfully.
While stating the efforts of the CDA in collaboration with that of the joint CDA, Mr Jubril also called on the government to come to their rescue by clearing the kidnappers hideout and assist the community with adequate security.
“In conjunction with the joint CDA chairman, we have been trying our efforts to ensure that our community is adequately secured. We have visited the CP tactical team and discussed how to stem the disturbing situation which has collapsed economic and social activities in our communities because of fear of kidnapping.
“We need the presence of the government in our area. The government should come in and clear the swamp right from Afa to Kapo and Agunfoye. This is where the kidnappers are operating from and we need the government to come to our aid in clearing the bush.”
He added, “We as a CDA have been coming up with measures in securing lives and properties of the residents but there is a limit to what we can do and this why we are pleading for the government intervention.“
One of the victims of the December 16, 2024, kidnapping, Ms Godshelp (not real name) also narrated how her assailants forced their way into her house cutting the security fence.
“That day, I was in my house when I heard gunshots around 8:30pm and we heard people shouting ‘Ole Ole’ (thief thief), but I thought that the gunshot was the sound of a banger (fireworks).
“Later, I started hearing alarm from my security wire and peeped through the window to see two of the kidnappers jumping in through the fence after cutting the wire through the aid of gloves that they wore.
“I did everything to lock my door but at the end of the day, they broke in but before they forced themselves inside, I had called our CDA Secretary to alert him of the invasion in my house,” she recalled her unfortunate abduction.
Narrating her gruesome five days experience inside the swamp, the victim said that they were made to stay inside the muddy terrain for five days with better parts of their bodies submerged.
“After forcing themselves inside my house, I was held hostage along with my friend who came to visit me. While they were taking us away, my dog tried to prevent them from taking us away but they cut him with cutlass. Despite the wound, my dog still went after them while they were trying to drag us into the bush and they shot him.
“After they took us into the swamp. It was a terrible experience and I am not praying for my enemy to go through such ordeal. It was indeed a terrible experience. We had to sleep in the bush that night and they woke us up around 5am and dragged us into the river to cross to the other side.
“Unfortunately for me, I did not know how to swim but I had to drag myself along with support of grass. At the end, they took us to a spot and I was asked to call somebody that I know which I did and they asked for ransom of N30million each on both of us. The ransom was later negotiated to N9million for me and N4million for my friend making N13million.
“We spent five days with them before my family and friend’s family could raise the money.”
Narrating the unfortunate incident further: “The kidnappers were four in number. Two broke in and the other two stayed outside to keep watch. Throughout our hostage period, we were kept in the swamp with our bodies submerged in the mud. Alligator and craps used to come around us which they usually killed.
“For the five days, there was no good, no sleep, no water and I was on my period. It was terrible, very terrible,” she said.
Noting that she had been dealing with post – kidnapping trauma, Ms. Godshelp, like the CDA stakeholders also called on the government to come to their aid by clearing the swamp that is aiding the kidnappers and ensure adequate security in the community.
Ms Godshelp confessed, “Since our release, life has been very traumatic for me but I have been overcoming it with the help of my family and friends. I had to leave my house but had to return because I can’t run away forever.
“We are hoping that the CDA and the government in particular will be able to do something about this and make our community liveable once again. We want the government to help us clear this swamp which is their hideout
“If the bush is cleared and everywhere is opened, we will be able to see whatever that is lurking around us. The kidnapping incident is becoming too much. They were no longer kidnapping along the road again; they now broke into people’s houses to abduct them.
“The government needed to ‘flush’ the swamp because I cannot even explain what is inside it. They have everything inside the swamp. They have cooking materials and food stuff,” she emphasized.
In an encounter with a family member of the naval officer that was shot by the kidnapers during the abduction of the two ladies, he too pleaded for the government’s intervention in making their environment which he said has been safe and secured before the kidnapping started to be secured again.
He informed our reporter that the shot officer was recuperating.
One of the two elderly women who were assaulted by the kidnappers pleaded with our reporter not to make her recall the unfortunate incident because it was too traumatic for the residents.
She like others charged the government to live up to its primary responsibilities of providing adequate security for its people.
Meanwhile, THE IMPACT gathered that the joint CDA chieftains met with the Executive Chairman, Ijede LCDA, Hon Motunrayo Gbadebo – Alogba, about a week ago to discuss further on the matter and how to checkmate the kidnapping within the Igbe communities effectively.
Sources within the community told our reporter that they had fruitful discussions and plans to boost the security in the area to which the chairman pledged the full support of her council.
Before the meeting with the CDA stakeholders, Hon. Gbadebo- Alogba had informed our reporter that the Ijede LCDA has written to the Lagos State Government on the incessant kidnappings and the need for assistance from the state.
