Bandits threaten school kidnappings in Ogun communities, hunters clamor for weapons upgrade

Suspected armed bandits have reportedly sent threatening letters to communities in Odeda Local Government Area of ​​Ogun State, warning of mass kidnappings planned against schoolchildren, triggering renewed fear in rural settlements.

Local hunters in the area say the latest threats have increased tension in already vulnerable communities, coming just two weeks after a petrol station manager was kidnapped and later released after a ransom was paid.

The Chairman of Odeda Local Government Area Hunters Association, Festus Ogundairo, raised the alarm during a live program on a radio station in Abeokuta, saying residents are increasingly worried about worsening insecurity and suspected bandit movements within the municipality area.

Ogundairo revealed that the previous kidnapping took place near a petrol station located beyond a secondary school in the area, adding that the victim was kidnapped at around 7pm before being released after the ransom was paid.

“About two weeks ago, in Odeda, near the secondary school, a man was kidnapped. He was the manager of a petrol station and was taken around 7pm. He was later released after the ransom was paid,” he said.

However, he said the situation had taken on a more worrying dimension following alleged information circulating on social media that armed groups had issued warnings of coordinated attacks on schools within identified towns and villages in the local government area.

“But what is becoming more disturbing is what we see on social media, reports that bandits have sent letters threatening to come and kidnap school children. They have also mentioned specific towns and villages within our Odeda local government area,” he added.

The hunter leader said security officers had taken precautionary measures to prevent any attack, but stressed that local security networks remained overstretched and under-equipped.

He appealed to the Ogun State Government and security agencies to urgently provide operational support, insisting that local hunters, who know the terrain, are crucial to effective defense of the community.

“We need bullets and good weapons to fight these terrorists. Even if the law prohibits us from carrying sophisticated weapons, the government should at least provide us with the ones we are allowed to use. We are ready to face these criminals,” Ogundairo said.

He also called for the provision of motorcycles to improve mobility during patrols through forests and remote settlements, stressing that many of the routes suspected of being used by criminals are inaccessible to vehicles.

“We also need motorcycles,” he added.

Hunters have also called for greater collaboration between vigilante groups and conventional security agencies, warning that a delayed response to rural security threats could embolden criminal groups that target schools and isolated communities.

According to them, residents are increasingly relying on local intelligence networks due to the limited security presence in several parts of the municipal territory.

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