Hold Oyo govt responsible over Ibadan kidnappers’ den – AP

Accord Party (AP) in Oyo state has said that the Governor Abiola Ajimobi-led administration should be held responsible for the existence of the kidnappers’ den at the Soka ‘forest of horror’ in Ibadan.

Addressing a press conference in Ibadan through a chieftain of the party, Chief Ayodele Adigun, the party claimed that the forest in question was acquired in 2011 by the Ajimobi administration for rehabilitation of destitute taken away from the streets “in its effort to beautify the environment, but the effort could not be sustained as no provision was made for their maintenance.”

AP said: “The purported revocation of the certificates of occupancy of the land was a mere ruse by Governor Ajimobi. The place had since 1999 been in the custody of the state government until Ajimobi’s administration started making use of it when it came in for the care of the destitute and lunatics.

“The premises in question until the time of unearthing the dastardly acts, have always been in custody of Oyo state government. Between 2011 and 2013, it was gathered that the state government in its effort to beautify the environment set up a committee headed by Yomi Oke, a Special Adviser on Environment and Habitat and started gathering lunatics and destitute in the streets of Ibadan.”

The party said it was unfortunate that the government provided the enabling environment to perpetrate these ignoble acts and  should be ready to accept responsibility for turning Oyo state into an Auschwitz Camp to send people to their graves under the guise of environmental sanitation and beautification”,

Reacting to the allegation, the All Progressive Congress’ Publicity Secretary, Dauda Kolawole, warned the Accord Party to stop playing politics with “such a sensitive issue,” saying “the people of Oyo state are in a state of grief and shock at the horrendous discovery of ritual killers’ den in the state.”

“The situation calls for sober reflection from all and sundry. To be confronted with this cheap politicking in the name of infantile accusation by the Accord Party is like opening the fresh wound of the people of the state who are still mourning their dead and lamenting the ugly incident.”