An Ekiti-state-born Toyin Oladosu revealed that her family had their brutal share in the spate of insecurity that brought Nigeria to its knees under General Muhammadu Buhari, iwitnesslive.com can report
According to her, the barbaric custom of female genital mutilation in Ekiti State of Nigeria made her father Mr. Isaac Oladosu an indigene of Ilemeje, under Oyee Local Government of Ekiti State of Nigeria to flee with his family to Oyo State when she (Toyin Oladosu) clocked the age of puberty in 2012.
It is the custom of Ekiti clan to circumcise female children as soon as they are of age, but the fear of ruining the future of his only daughter by allowing her to undergo the pains of forceful circumcision made her parent relocate to Oyo and despite this, the community head in Oyee, insisted that the Oladosu’ family return to Ekiti State to perform the traditional rites of circumcision or face the risk of losing their right as a member of the Oladosu clan of Oyee, Ekiti State.
“ I could still recall how my father bundled me into a waiting bus and we fled to the closest city before taking the next available bus to Oyo in the morning,” Toyin said.
While still grabbling with the situation, Mr Isaac Oladosu and his wife resorted to seeking spiritual help and protection. Precisely on the 28th day of October 2022 while returning from a programme, they fell victim to armed bandits who were dressed in military uniforms along Lagos- Ibadan expressway near Abeokuta exchange route. They were later abducted alongside other passengers while a call was put across to their daughter to notify her of their predicament.
“I was looking forward to seeing them back but I became worried when they were nowhere to be found and their phone could not be reached as well. I was finally relieved when their calls came in but the tone with which they spoke sent jitters down my spine.
“My worst fear was confirmed when my dad said they have been kidnapped. I almost fainted, but I managed to pull myself together as I listened to instructions from the kidnappers who mumbled some words in strange languages,” she said.
An eyewitness account who was also among those kidnapped revealed that one of the trigger-happy bandits shot Mr. Isaac Oladosu in the chest while struggling with them and he died on the spot.
The family of the abducted persons were contacted including Toying Oladosu who is a single mother.
Devastated by her father’s death, Toyin was unable to raise the ransom of N30, 000,000:00 Naira demanded to free her mother from captivity
According to her, she had informed the Police as soon as the abductors of her mother demanded a whopping sum of N30,000,000:00 ransom and she still could not fathom how abductors of her parents found out that she had contacted the Police.
The abductors then called in with her mother’s phone urging her mother say her last prayers, and while mother and daughter were filled with tears, the next thing Toyin heard was a horrific scream from her mum.
She yelled and call her mum but no response was forthcoming from her mother, the kidnapper then informed her that her mother have been slaughtered to serve as punishment for informing the Police.
She was also told that she is next to face the music.
“ I feared for my life as they spoke to me harshly. They spoke to me as though they know me too well, and that was when I knew my life was no longer safe, “ she said
This made Toyin Oladosu come up with an immediate arrangement to relocate outside the shore of Nigeria with her son, her sibling, Korede and Micheal after all efforts to recover her parent’s remains proved abortive.
In light of this matter, it remains to be seen if the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria will step up its effort to checkmate the rising tide of banditry and kidnapping in the country.
One thing is sure, there are several TOYIN OLADOSU out there who has suffered similar fate in the hands of these blood-thirsty kidnappers.
And for sensitization purposes, it is important that our government up their games to ensure that issues of insecurity in our country is finally taken care of and most importantly make the country safe for everyone.