Lawmakers decry resurgence of kidnapping in Edo communities

Members of the Edo State House of Assembly have raised the alarm over the rising spate of kidnapping in Uromi and Uzea communities in Esan North-East and Akoko Edo local government areas of the state.

The lawmakers said the situation has negatively impacted the livelihoods of inhabitants, subjected them to hardship, as they can no longer go to farms and perform other day-to-day commercial activities.

They, therefore, urged the state government to procure drones for surveillance of the troubled areas with a view to checking the menace.

The alarm was raised in a matter of public importance co-sponsored by Donald Okogbe, a member representing Akoko-Edo II, Maria Edeko, the deputy speaker of the house, and nine others.

Edeko called on the commissioner of police and state security network to deploy security personnel to comb the bushes, and mount surveillance in the affected areas to prevent further occurrence.

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According to her, “Some armed gunmen have been adopting people in different parts of Uromi community in the past few weeks, making them live in perpetual fear and close their businesses earlier than usual.”

“My people are under siege in Uromi and environs. Some people were reportedly kidnapped at various times and locations in Uromi by armed gunmen and were only released after seven days in captivity while some others have not been released.

“It is now common knowledge that the kidnappers often request ransom, food, illicit drugs, and recharge cards from families of kidnapped victims.

“The activities of kidnappers in Uromi and Uzea communities forced the United Uromi Youth Association to protest and cry out to the government and security agencies to protect the people from kidnapping,” Edeko said.

Okogbo, who narrated the ordeal his constituency had gone through, said that several persons have been kidnapped in different parts of Akoko-Edo local government area in the past few months.

Other lawmakers supported the motion and called for urgent measures to stem the menace of kidnapping in order to restore the security of life and property in all parts of the state.

Blessing Agbebaku, the speaker, thereafter directed Yahaya Omogbai, the clerk of the house, to forward clean copies of the resolution to the relevant authorities for immediate action.