Residents of Ayede Ogbese in Akure North Local Government Area have staged a major protest, barricading the busy Akure-Owo-Benin highway in response to persistent killings and abductions in their community.
The demonstration followed the killing of a young resident, identified as Ben Daniels, whose death on Monday night sparked outrage among youths in the area.
By early Tuesday, protesters had taken over the strategic road, disrupting traffic and demanding urgent government intervention.
Witnesses said the highway was blocked with makeshift barricades as youths insisted they could no longer endure what they described as unchecked violence.
Commuters travelling between Akure, Owo and Benin were forced to seek alternative routes as tension heightened.
“We are tired of burying our people,” one protester said.
“Every week, we hear of another attack. We cannot continue like this without visible action from authorities.”
Community leaders also expressed concern over what they called a worsening security crisis. According to a local elder, repeated appeals for a stronger security presence had yielded limited results.
“Our people are living in fear. Businesses are closing earlier, and farmers are afraid to go to their fields,” he said.
Security challenges have intensified across parts of Ondo State in recent months, with reports of armed attacks and kidnappings becoming more frequent.
The Akure-Owo-Benin corridor, a critical route linking Ondo to neighbouring Edo State, has increasingly drawn attention over safety concerns.
Residents are now calling on the Ondo State Government and security agencies to deploy more personnel and establish permanent checkpoints in vulnerable communities.
“We want proactive measures, not promises,” another youth leader said. “Lives are being lost, and the situation demands urgency.”
As of the time of filing this report, security operatives had yet to issue an official statement regarding the protest or the killing that triggered it.
However, commuters continued to experience delays along the affected highway.
AFRIPOST reports that the protest underscores growing frustration in Ondo communities over insecurity, with many residents urging swift and coordinated action to restore safety and public confidence.