Ilesa – a community in Osun is becoming a haven for killers and robbers. Owners of fairly used motorcycles are now easy targets of criminals who clearly have no respect for life and living, in addition to the unlawful operations of gold miners that threaten the tranquility and wellbeing of residents in Ilesa and her surroundings.
These crooks chase or entice Okada riders to dark or quiet areas, seize their motorcycles, and kill any riders who are uncooperative. According to a trustworthy source who prefers anonymity and spoke to WITHIN NIGERIA, they would stop an Okada rider, ask him to take them someplace, and as soon as they alighted, shoot the rider in the stomach.
According to information obtained by this writer, more than 20 Okada riders were brutally slain in the previous six months. To express their outrage over the horrific and unfair killings of their coworkers, Okada riders stormed the Ilesa-based radio station Diamond 88.5fm on Thursday.
They held up a number of signs that said, “No police in Ilesa, No more killing of Olokada in Ilesa, No more tickets, no more security,” as they vehemently bemoaned the police’s lack of action in relation to the killings of bikers in the town.
The majority of Okada riders had already left by the time this reporter arrived at Diamond 88.5fm, but there were still some individuals hanging out there. This reporter saw a man in tears who should have been in his late forties and approached him.
They assassinated the family’s sole provider, a 44-year-old man later named as Adesoji, as he fought back tears that had already soiled the glass screen of the motorbike helmet he wears to perhaps manage or lessen the effects of wind.
Adesoji was making reference to an Okada rider who picked up a brand-new motorcycle and signed a higher purchase agreement with the owner, but who was robbed of his motorcycle and wounded in the stomach by thieves just six months after receiving the new motorcycle.
Sunday was spent in communal worship. Because of the rising cost of petrol, I even jokingly joked with him that I might want to consider going into full-time farming. He reassured me that things will improve with time. Adesoji continued in tears, “He believed so much in the country, and it is sad that the country did not get better before he was murdered in cold blood.”
Adesoji is coping with two tragedies. He is still held hostage by thoughts of another friend named Dare who went missing seven months ago and had not been recovered as he mourns the tragic loss of his friend who was slain by robbers who took his motorcycle.
Dare vanished seven months ago, and we are still grieving his passing. He has not been seen by us yet. He may be living or dead; we are unsure. Adesoji emphasized that despite his family and friends’ police reports, nothing significant had been done.
Recall that in November, WITHIN NIGERIA published an article with the headline “Inside Osun Community where Evildoers hijack Motorcycles, Cut Off Riders’ Body Parts,” which contained a true account of the disappearance of Dare, a man in his early forties.
Kunle, another Okada rider, informed this reporter that the situation is highly unpleasant and should worry any sane person. He also revealed that he is a friend of an Okada rider who was robbed and killed along the Ijebu-Ijesa route in Ilesa.
In a town that is home to the police, prison, and civil defense Corps, including Amotekun, more than 20 Okada riders have been killed, yet these bandits continue to slaughter our people while operating freely. This town has both political and traditional leaders, yet the problem still exists.
Would they remain silent till they killed us all? As he turned away from the reporter and proceeded towards his colleague on the opposite side, a concerned Kunle questioned.
An Okada rider who was robbed and killed at Bolohunduro, a street in Ilesa claimed to be a friend with Dayo, a man in his late 30s. He was not just robbed by them. He was shot in the abdomen. He could not have survived it because his body was buried somewhere that was difficult to find. They orphaned his kids and left his wife a widow. Every day, we collect and pay for fines, but our leadership was unable to protect us. We can not go on like this, an obviously discouraged Dayo told WITHIN NIGERIA.
Sunday Gbadegesin, the Chairman of ACOMORAN EXPRESS in the Ijesa zone, spoke on the phone with WITHIN NIGERIA and referred to the killing of Okada riders as brutal, unfair, and inhumane.
While expressing his sorrow over the deaths, Gbadegesin noted that although the terrible situation is not new, it keeps happening because leaders and security personnel have handled it carelessly.
Gbadegesin claims that when we went to Diamond 88.5fm to air our complaints, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Gabriel Adekunle Aromolaran, and the top police personnel in the area took notice.
The king and DPOs in Ilesa, in particular Ayeso Police Command, both made the commitment to investigate into the situation. They gave us their word that things would get better. We have not gone to sleep because of the incident either. He continued, “Until something is done about the problem, we will keep going to radio stations to air our complaints.”
The association’s chief claims that more than 18 Okada riders have been robbed and died, while we have lost track of the number of those who have just been robbed and suffered psychological distress as a result of losing something they had acquired at a higher purchase rate.
The unfortunate incident is not unique to Ilesa or Osun alone, according to a top security official who preferred to remain anonymous in a telephone interview with WITHIN NIGERIA.
Security organizations are already investigating. He continued by saying that these perpetrators would be apprehended and prosecuted in accordance with the law. These criminals are touts that politicians use during elections, according to the top security official.
Following the termination of political activities after general election , they currently have no means of support. No more free money is circulation. With the weapons and ammo that politicians gave them during the election, the official said, these touts would be forced to loot and kill any obstacle.