Jobel Residents Protest Against Rising Kidnappings in Oyo

Residents of Jobel in Afijio Local Government Area, Oyo State, protested on Monday due to a surge in kidnappings, disrupting vehicular movement along the Ibadan-Oyo expressway. The protests were triggered by a recent incident where a woman narrowly escaped an abduction attempt but sustained serious injuries.

Dolapo Awotunde, a community representative, stated that there have been at least seven kidnapping cases in the area recently. Following a violent attack that occurred over the weekend, where a victim was severely injured and later required amputation, community members decided to keep vigil for safety.

On Monday morning, they apprehended a suspicious individual allegedly armed with dangerous weapons, but the suspect was released by police without explanation, causing outrage among residents. They demanded accountability from the Nigeria Police Force and Oyo State Police Command, calling for urgent investigations to address the growing insecurity in Afijio Local Government Area.