Regular travellers on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway are currently gripped by fear following the abduction of some persons on the road on Friday evening.
There are reports that some travellers were abducted at around Dominion University area on the expressway and a former Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Adigun Agbaje, was also reported to have been kidnapped in the incident.
Some of the travellers who are working in Lagos State and have their families in Ibadan told Newsmen that they would need to minimise the frequency of their trips on the road.
One of the frequent travellers, Akin Ogunremi, said it appeared that kidnappers have returned to the road and road users must do everything to avoid travelling late on the road
Ogunremi said, ” The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway is becoming unsafe again. There was a time early this year when the kidnappers took over and following the outrage, they were dislodged, but they are returning back there again.
”I have to make sure that I don’t travel too early in the morning or late in the evening to avoid falling into their trap.”
Another frequent traveller on the road, Rosa Henry, told our correspondent that she would also cut down on the number of her journeys per a week.
She said, ” I will not travel as frequent as before at least until next year. I will ask my suppliers to send clothing materials to me through transporters because that will be safer.
“This is the end of the year and these criminals will also intensify their efforts to commit crime but one will need to reduce one’s exposure to risks.”
Another resident of Ibadan who is a post graduate student at the University of Ibadan, Rafiu Adedeji, also said he might change his travelling frequency from weekly to fortnightly.
The Oyo State Police Command, while confirming the incident said one of its men was shot dead and another one was shot and injured during the abduction.
The command said this in a statement issued by its spokesman, Adewale Osifeso, on Saturday.
The police statement read, “On Friday 28/10/2022 at about 1835HRS, operatives of the command attached to Toll-Gate Division received information about sporadic gunshots heard along the Dominion University end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
“In swift response to the above, the Divisional Police Officer led a team comprising; Anti-crime patrol operatives, tactical teams, Police Mobile men and local hunters for immediate rescue and further intervention.
“During the process of prevailing and preventing further chaos from what was evidently an abduction scenario, an officer attached to the command paid the supreme price with one other badly injured and presently responding to treatment.
“So far, expended ammunition shells and (4) four abandoned vehicles were retrieved at the scene.
“Furthermore, the Commissioner of Police, CP Adebowale Williams has ordered full-scale scientific and technological aided Investigations to unravel the events that led to the incident with the Deputy Commissioner in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department leading the Charge.
“In the same vein, care-givers, traditional healers and residents within and outside the area of the shooting incident are advised to be on the look out for gunshot victims and immediately report any strange occurrence to the Police for prompt action.”
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