Fear, grief envelope Edo Communities as gunmen unleash terror on hapless villagers

Edo State

The sleeping town of Urhonigbe in the Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State has been thrown into confusion following serial and frequent attacks on hapless natives and kidnap of prominent persons for ransom in the community by some unknown gunmen.

The gunmen who have literarily taken over the agrarian community has forced many residents to seek refuge in some relatively safer villages to escape attacks or kidnap.

Distraught residents especially those whose relatives had been kidnapped make frantic efforts to pay incredibly high ransoms demanded by the criminal gangs who have taken over the Urhonigbe forest.

Many kidnap victims had been killed by the felons over delayed ransom payment while others never got rescued even after ransoms had been paid.

Recent incidences which the police in Urhonigbe and Abraka have been trying to unravel include the killing of a young student of Delta State University, Abraka who had gone the farm to harvest cassava ahead of her planned return to school, and the abduction of osamuyi Anthony on February 24, 2022.

While the decapitated body of the female student was found near her parent’s farm after a search party was launched by the locals, the whereabouts of Osamuyi Anthony remained unknown fueling fears that he may have been killed by his abductors even after receiving N2 million in ransom.

Some villagers who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity said the hoodlums have resorted to intimidation in their bid to cow the natives to submission as the gunmen were said to have gone to threaten the Head of Urhonigbe District Council, warning of dire consequences if the community informs the police of their activities.

Our source hinted that some strange people suspected to be Fulanis had also visited the home of the kidnapped Osamuyi Anthony demanding to see one Loveth Obazee for undisclosed reasons and his brother who was part of the ransom curriers but wasn’t around at the time of their visit.

The strange men the source said disappeared into the lone bush paths but not without giving Loveth’s sisters Faith Obazee and Mary Obazee the beating of their lives for failing to disclose the whereabouts of Loveth Obazee.

The invaders however reportedly announced themselves as Osamuyi’s abductors threatening that he would not be released until more ransom was paid, fueling fears that the community wasn’t safe for anyone again.

The kidnappers had reportedly seized the phones of Osamuyi Anthony’s brothers who had gone to deliver the ransom in the forest and that foreclosed any chances of further communication with the victims relatives.

The stupid bravado of the felons has ignited conversation on the extent the Nigeria society has degenerated with criminals holding grounds unchallenged by authorities of state.

The police has however promised to clear the Urhonigbe forest and environs of the criminals elements, it yet to be seen how effective it might be in solving current security challenges in the area which has forced many out of their homes.