Ekiti: Bandits Kill Elderly Woman, Abduct Five in Ajoni LCDA
IKOLE-EKITI — Suspected bandits have unleashed an 11-day reign of terror on the Irele and Ijowa communities in Ajoni Local Council Development Area. The siege has resulted in the cold-blooded murder of an elderly woman and the abduction of at least five residents. Community leaders report that the assailants now demand ₦1.5 million simply to release the victim’s corpse for burial rites. Consequently, the Akogun of Irele Kingdom, High Chief Kehinde Abejide, has issued an emergency plea for immediate military and police intervention. While it is true that security agencies frequently patrol the Ekiti-Kwara border, the persistence of this siege suggests a tactical failure. This localized insurgency has effectively paralyzed farming and commerce across the Irele, Ijowa, and Oke-Ako axis this week.
The tragic murder of the woman, identified as “Mummy Isaac,” occurred during a violent ambush on a motorcycle transit route. Gunmen opened fire on the victim and her son as they returned from their ancestral farmlands on Friday. Furthermore, the attackers dragged the elderly woman into the forest while her son sustained life-threatening gunshot injuries. The young man is currently receiving specialized care at the Federal Medical Centre, Ikole-Ekiti, under heavy security watch. Indeed, the kidnappers later contacted the family to demand ₦10 million for another high-profile captive seized during the period. For the residents, the demand for a “death ransom” represents a new, psychological low in the region’s insecurity.
The Ekiti State Police Command appears to be trailing the events, with PPRO Sunday Abutu claiming no initial awareness. In a related development, local vigilante groups have attempted to monitor the forest fringes but lack sufficient modern weaponry. Granted, Governor Biodun Oyebanji has previously invested in the Amotekun Corps, yet the bandits currently hold the tactical advantage. Notably, the attackers appear to be utilizing the dense vegetation of the Ajoni borders to launch rapid, mobile strikes. Above all, the community leaders fear a total collapse of the local economy if the government fails to act. Significant disruptions to the planting season could trigger a localized food security crisis within the next few months.
Significantly, the Ajoni LCDA has historically served as a transit gateway, making it a high-value target for criminal elements. Subsequently, the traditional council has called for a permanent military outpost to secure the volatile Oke-Ako and Irele roads. Although the Governor has promised a “tough response,” the residents of Ijowa remain indoors, fearing the next nocturnal raid. Therefore, the state must move beyond reactive policing to a proactive, technology-driven forest-clearing operation to flush out these cells.
Finally, the focus shifts to the Police Command’s promised inquiry and the potential deployment of tactical units to the forest. As a result of this 11-day siege, the trust between the rural populace and security agencies faces a severe test. Thus, the quest for a peaceful Ekiti depends on the government’s ability to reclaim the forests from these predatory bandits.