Ahoro-Esinele: Standoff between security agents and bandits
Khalid ABRAHAM
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There is palpable tension in the Old Oyo National Park presently as the security agents led by the men of the Nigerian Army and the bandits who kidnapped seven teachers and 39 students/pupils at three schools in Oriire local government area of Oyo state recently are now in a deadlock.
According to reports reaching ogbomosoinsightonline.com the bandits are currently trapped by security agents in their base at an undisclosed location in the forest reserve. They have the victims in custody but they are within range of the security agents who have refused to back down. “But the criminals could not be dislodged through violence because the captives in their custody whom they use as human shield,” a security operative reported the situation at the frontline.
ogbomosoinsightonline.com further learnt that the use of force to displace the bandits will definitely endanger the abductees. “So, the bandits are holed up, unable to march on as security agents have kept them within range. An hasty attempt to advance on them on Saturday night led to the detonation of dynamites by the bandits leading to the death of an Amotekun Corps operative and wounding of others including soldiers,” he said.
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Perhaps that is why the governor of Oyo state disclosed Monday evening that his government is open to negotiation with the murderous gang by which he means payment of ransom or free passage for them or both.
In the meantime, the land is suffocating as teachers and students are gripped by fear to go to school, in fact, Tuesday schools hurriedly got deserted in most of Ogbomoso environs over rumour of infiltration by bandits.
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As the standoff enters Day Three, one may ask, where are the heroes among security agents and civilians? It is appalling no one could dismantle the defences of the terrorists three days after they are located. Where are the powerful men? Times produce heroes, this an opportunity to produce new heroes in the mould of Benjamin Adekunles (the Black Scorpion) and others. People like him wouldn’t have been deterred by bombs. The world has changed! Then, don’t we have military technologies or officers with efficacious tactics to deploy in such stalemate?
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