According to reports, unknown gunmen killed one person and abducted two others in Itapaji, Ikole local government area of Ekiti state on Wednesday.
The incident, which occurred at about 8pm, claimed the life of Mr. Sunday Ibitoye, while Mr. Adebayo Ogundele and Mr. Ojo Olaniyi were taken hostage by the assailants.
In response to this tragic event, the Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye, has condemned the killings and abductions and called on security agencies to fish out the perpetrators.
Hon. Aribasoye described the attack as a senseless and barbaric act of terror that must be condemned by all well-meaning Nigerians. He urged the combined security agencies to act swiftly and arrest the culprits behind the abduction and bring them to justice.
He also assured the people of Itapaji that the government of Biodun Oyebanji would not allow any group of terrorists to turn the state into a killing field. He said the government would mobilise all its resources and security forces to resist and prevent such heinous acts that threaten the peace and security of the state.
The Speaker said he was deeply saddened and traumatised by the killing of one of his constituents in such a gruesome manner. He said the people of Itapaji were living in fear and anxiety over the attack and appealed to them to remain calm and vigilant.
He further called on the state police command to beef up security around the towns located near Kwara and Kogi borders to ward off incursion from inter-state bandits that were killing and kidnapping innocent people. He said such attacks could cripple the economic activities and livelihoods of the people and jeopardise the food security status of the state.
He also urged the state government and all the towns to rally support for the local vigilance groups and Amotekun Corps to work in synergy with the conventional security outfits to upscale their intelligence gathering mechanism and respond effectively to the current situation.
He said: “These actions of killings and kidnapping of people were highly reprehensible and condemnable. How can people be killed in such a gory manner? It was senseless and these should be resisted by all men of good hearts and consciences.
“I have received reports of how the evil doers perpetrated the act and I know that their action was to make Ikole constituency 2 unsafe for inhabitants because this could cripple economic activities if the perpetrators are not tamed.
“There have been reported cases of people being afraid to go to their farms because of the activities of these evil-minded individuals. This will surely affect individual’s standard of living and income and as well jeopardise the efforts of the state government to bolster the food security status of our dear state.
“Time has come for the state government and all the towns to rally support for the local vigilance groups and Amotekun Corps to work in synergy with the conventional security outfits to upscale their intelligence gathering mechanism to be able to respond positively to the current situation.”
The killings and abductions have caused fear and panic among residents of Itapaji, who are now afraid to go about their normal activities.
The police have said they are investigating the incident and have deployed more officers to the area to prevent further attacks.
