Militants Flee Ogun, Regroup in Ondo

 

The aerial bombardment of the restive Ogun and Lagos surburbs that have fast become the new hub for militants who have been engaged in oil bunkering, kidnappings, robberies and other crimes, has dispersed the miscreants.

 

Some vandals allegedly responsible for attacks on communities in Lagos and Ogun states are escaping in large numbers to riverine communities in the Ilaje and Ese-Odo local government areas of Ondo State.

Investigations on Monday showed that the insurgents, who escaped the intensified aerial bombardment by the Nigerian Air Force of their camps at Arepo, Ogun, and Ikorodu, Lagos, had been sighted in Ore, Okitipupa and the riverine communities of Ondo State.

A top security source told a Punch that security reports showed that some of the militants had sneaked into the Ondo reverine communities.

He said, ‘‘Arepo can no longer contain them. Some of them have run to Ondo to hide in the riverine areas.’’

It was further gathered that some of them were still trapped in Arepo and other communities in Lagos and were making frantic moves to flee.

A source in Ese-Odo said since the military started the bombardment of the militants’ camps on Friday, many of them had fled and regrouped in Ondo State.

The source said, “We have sighted them in some communities here. It seems Arepo is too hot for them.”
 

A resident of Ajagba in the Irele Local Government Area of the state, who identified himself simply as Francis, said there were strange faces in the local government, adding that it was difficult to identify whether they were fleeing militants or not.’’

He said, “Many people from Niger Delta states are living with us. Some of them do have visitors staying with them, so there is no way we can know if the new faces are the fleeing militants or not. “