Kidnappers’ reign terror on commuters along Lagos-Ibadan expressway

Mr. Bamipe Ojediran, who recently experienced a horrifying ordeal at the hands of kidnappers, is now speaking out about the urgent need for increased security along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

After spending three terrifying days in the kidnappers’ den, Ojediran is calling on the authorities to intervene and put an end to the activities of this dangerous kidnapping gang.

On November 12, at around 5:40 p.m., Ojediran, along with his wife, Bola, and their son, Jedidiah, were abducted while traveling along the Ogun State section of the expressway.

The Guardian has also reported that on the same day, another two individuals, Ojo Dauda and Matthew Akangbe, were kidnapped in a Nissan Coastal bus with the registration number Lagos LND 395 YC. Recalling his harrowing experience, Ojediran, who is currently recovering from the traumatic incident, revealed that they had left Ibadan for Lagos at 4:30 p.m. that fateful day.

Just seven minutes after passing Foursquare Camp, they noticed vehicles turning back and attempted to do the same. However, their car was hit by another vehicle coming from Ibadan, a black Toyota Camry with the registration number Lagos LSD 937 GC, rendering it immobile. As they tried to flee, the kidnappers caught up with them, leaving Ojediran’s two younger sons on the expressway while taking his wife, eldest son, and himself into the nearby bush. “I had my three sons sitting in the back of the car. After the incident, my wife was the first to come out, followed by my eldest son. I managed to get him out, but the other two had lost consciousness. So, I stayed there to revive them. The youngest, who was just two years old, was bleeding,” Ojediran recounted.

“Eventually, the kidnappers returned, and I brought my sons out of the car. At that point, they stood by me and led me, along with my two youngest sons, further into the bush. I was carrying the bleeding two-year-old and holding onto the nine-year-old. After walking for a while, the kidnappers realized that the children were slowing me down, so they told me to leave them behind. However, I refused to abandon them. They then took me back to the road, intending to leave the children there. In that moment, I thought it was better to comply.

However, I was adamant that I wouldn’t abandon them. They insisted on taking me back to the road to drop them off, and I believed it was safer to leave them there.”

Ojediran recounted, “They led me back into the bushes while I was still relieved that my family was unharmed. Little did I know that the kidnappers were pursuing them as well, and eventually caught up with them.

“My wife recounted that when they were close by, the kidnappers aimed their guns and attempted to shoot. In that moment, she bravely stood her ground, but they eventually forced her and my eldest son back into the bushes where we were. We also encountered two individuals who were drivers of a vehicle that had previously transported some people to Foursquare Camp. The passengers had disembarked and were heading back to Lagos, so there were only two people left in the bus when they were kidnapped.”