The Take It Back Movement, Ondo State Chapter, joins the rest of the grieving public to mourn the cold-blooded murder of two promising students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), who were recently kidnapped and killed allegedly orchestrated by their landlord.
The heartbreaking loss of these young lives, who only sought education and a better future, is a painful reminder that Ondo State has become increasingly unsafe for its citizens.
We unequivocally condemn this brutal act of violence. The lives of students must never be treated as expendable. The murdered students were not criminals, neither were they combatants in any war; they were children of ordinary people who believed in the promise of education. That promise has now been shattered forever, and their families plunged into sorrow and everlasting grief.
It is appalling that in a state that boasts of producing intellectual giants and national leaders, students now live in fear, afraid to travel, afraid to return home, afraid to move freely within their own communities. How many more deaths will it take before the government accepts that insecurity in Ondo State has reached a crisis point?
This tragic incident is not an isolated one. For years now, the people of Ondo State — especially in the Akoko, Owo, and Ose axes — have been under constant siege by kidnappers, armed robbers, and killer herdsmen. Farmers cannot go to their farms. Traders are attacked on highways. Students are targeted. And yet, those in power continue to dance to the tune of political interests, turning a blind eye to the suffering of the people.
The Take It Back Movement is calling on Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and the Ondo State Government to immediately:
- Launch a full investigation into the kidnapping and murder of the two AAUA students and ensure that all the perpetrators are tracked down and brought to swift justice.
- Declare a state of emergency on security in Ondo State, particularly in known hotspots of kidnapping and violent crimes.
- Engage with community vigilante groups, traditional rulers, student unions, and civil society organizations to build a grassroots-based security architecture.
- Invest in surveillance technology, better logistics for local police, and emergency response systems in rural and urban areas alike.
- Address the root causes of insecurity, including mass unemployment, poverty, and the decay of public institutions, which continue to fuel criminality.
We also urge the student body, youth organizations, and well-meaning citizens of Ondo State to rise in unity and demand accountability from those in power.
We must not allow the death of these students to be swept under the carpet, like many before them. Their names must not just be mourned — they must be remembered as a rallying cry for change.
Insecurity is not a fate we must accept. The people of Ondo deserve to live in peace. Students deserve to pursue their dreams without fear of being abducted and murdered. Farmers deserve to return home after a day’s work. Every citizen deserves the right to life and dignity.
If the government cannot guarantee that, then it has failed in its most basic responsibility — and such failure cannot and should not be tolerated.
The Take It Back Movement will not rest until justice is served, and the streets, farms, and roads of Ondo State are safe again.
Justice for the AAUA Students.
Justice for All Victims of Insecurity.
A Safe Ondo Is Possible.
Signed:
Patrick Owolabi
Take It Back Movement, Ondo State Chapter, Coordinator
Leave a Reply