Tension gripped Ondo State on Friday as angry youths in Ayede Ogbese, Akure North Local Government, barricaded the busy Benin–Akure–Ilesa highway to protest rising insecurity.
The unrest was triggered by the killing of a 34-year-old man, Okudili Okoro, and the abduction of a local businesswoman, Mrs Orogun, by gunmen on Thursday.
Chanting songs of anger, the youths blocked traffic for hours, leaving commuters stranded and paralysing movement along the highway.
One resident, Justine, said the community had been left vulnerable by poor governance and worsening road conditions that aid criminal attacks. She also accused security agents of complacency: “Even those manning checkpoints are not doing enough. Now we are the ones forced to defend ourselves.”
The Ondo Police Commissioner, who addressed the protesters, promised swift action, vowing to track down the perpetrators and rescue the victim.
