Oyo kidnapping protest erupts as residents block Ibadan–Oyo highway over repeated attacks and alleged police release of a suspect

Scores of residents on Tuesday staged a protest over rising insecurity in Afijio Local Government Area of Oyo State, blocking a major highway and disrupting movement along the Ibadan–Oyo expressway.

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The demonstrators gathered at the Jobele end of the busy route, barricading the road and halting both vehicular and pedestrian traffic to demand urgent intervention from security agencies following repeated incidents of kidnapping and violent attacks in the area.

Residents said the latest protest was triggered by an attempted abduction in one of the communities on Monday.

According to the protesters, suspected kidnappers invaded the community and attempted to abduct a woman who narrowly escaped by scaling a fence.

“Yesterday, the suspected kidnappers invaded one of our communities in an attempt to abduct a lady. She escaped by climbing the fence but sustained a deep machete cut on one of her hands,” one of the protesters said.

The residents insisted that they would continue the protest until authorities provided firm assurances about the safety of the community.

“We are not going to leave the road until our safety is guaranteed by the relevant security agencies,” the protesters added.

In a statement, Dolapo Awotunde, a representative of Ward 8 in Afijio Local Government Area, said the community had recorded at least seven kidnapping-related incidents in recent months.

Awotunde said the most recent attack occurred between Saturday night and Sunday morning, leaving a victim severely injured.

The victim was initially rushed to the General Hospital and later referred to Ogbomoso for advanced treatment, where one of his hands was amputated due to the severity of the injuries.

Awotunde said the worsening security situation prompted residents to organise a night vigil on Sunday.

During the vigil, community members apprehended a suspicious individual allegedly found with a gun, a cutlass and other weapons. The suspect was subsequently handed over to officers at the Nigeria Police Force.

However, the situation escalated when residents later discovered that the suspect had been released without explanation.

“When community members visited the police station this morning to inquire about the suspect, they discovered that he had already been released without any explanation and without involving the community members who apprehended him,” the statement said.

The development sparked outrage among residents and students, who blocked the Old Oyo–Ibadan Road and the major Ibadan–Oyo–Ogbomoso highway in protest.

Responding to the incident, the spokesperson for the Nigeria Police Force, Olayinka Ayanlade, said the Commissioner of Police had deployed senior officers to the scene.

“The Commissioner of Police has sent both the Area Commander and the Divisional Police Officer to the spot to restore normalcy on the road,” Ayanlade said.

The Oyo kidnapping protest reflects growing anxiety among residents across several communities in the state, where cases of abduction and violent attacks have increasingly been reported, particularly in rural settlements and communities located along major highways linking Ibadan, Oyo and Ogbomoso.

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Residents have repeatedly called on security agencies and the Oyo State Government to intensify patrols and strengthen intelligence gathering to curb the alarming trend.