Ikole-Ekiti youths send SOS to govt, as gunmen kidnap hotel manager

Youths in Ikole-Ekiti, Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti on Tuesday charged the State Government for protection against kidnappers in their communities.

The youths made the appeal in a statement signed by Mr Toba Fatunla, the Coordinating President of Youth Associations in all the 25 communities in Ikole Local Government area.

Fatunla noted that the appeal was sequel to the alleged abduction of Mr Idowu Ajayi, the Manager of Downtown Lounge and Bar, Ikole-Ekiti, by gunmen on Monday night.

“Today again, another vibrant Ikole youth by name Idowu Ajayi was kidnapped at gun point along Ado-Ekiti-Ijesa-Isu-Ikole-Ekiti axis of the state.

“The spate of kidnapping in Ikole Local Government area is now very alarming and disheartening.

“We frown at this level of insecurity and we are calling on the state government to rise up to secure the lives of Ikole people.

“No meaningful development can be achieved in an unsecured environment.

“It is very condemnable that our communities are no longer safe and we are not happy with this development.

“We call on both the state and local governments to urgently swing into action and help us find our brother that was kidnapped.

“We equally urge the security agencies to be proactive in securing our lives,” he said.

Fatunla lamented that kidnapping of residents and indigenes of Ikole Local Government Area was on the increase.

He appealed to the government for urgent attention, noting that residents of the communities were having sleepless nights over activities of kidnappers.

According to him, the hotel manager was travelling from Ado-Ekiti to Ikole-Ekiti when he was allegedly stopped and pulled out of his vehicle to an unknown destination.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Sunday Abutu, did not answer calls nor respond to text messages sent to his mobile phone by NAN correspondent.