Residents of Auchi in Etsako West Local Government of Edo State have called on President Bola Tinubu and the Army to reorganise a checkpoint situated in a popular place called Fertiliser Checkpoint on Auchi–Igarra Road, as the area has become a regular place for violent kidnappings despite the presence of soldiers.
The latest in the series of kidnappings in the area was the one on Sunday, April 19th, when a young man identified as Christopher was killed while his female acquaintance was taken away and has yet to be released.
The area is popularly called Igbira camp, and it is less than three kilometres from the Nigerian Army School of Mechanical Engineering (NASEME), but the kidnappers are holding sway in the area.
Efforts to get a response from the Army have not been successful, as calls to the mobile line of the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations of the 4 Brigade Nigerian Army, Benin City, Captain Kennedy Anyanwu, were neither picked up nor returned. He only replied “noted” to a WhatsApp message sent to him.
In the open letter by Concerned Residents and Youths of Auchi Sacred Kingdom and Surrounding Communities, released by Comr. U. H. Abdul-Maleeq which also copied to the Minister of Defence, The Chief of Defence Staff, Governor Monday Okpebholo among others, the people alleged that there was an occasion when indigenous vigilantes and hunters received intelligence about kidnappers hiding in the bush but that when they moved to that area, the soldiers in that checkpoint delayed them for nearly two hours which allegedly gave room for the suspected kidnappers to escape.
They said, “We write this petition from a place of deep pain, fear, and frustration. For too long, our area has been plagued by relentless kidnapping, violence, and insecurity.
“The soldier checkpoint at Fertiliser Junction, Igbira Camp axis, meant to protect us, has instead become a symbol of abandonment, inaction, and alleged misconduct.
“These are not isolated events. The Igbira Camp area and nearby axis have become notorious for abductions, with multiple incidents involving residents, including cases near City Pride Road and attempts on traders and workers along the Auchi Igarra route. Families live in constant fear, with kidnappers striking even in broad daylight or near supposed security outposts.
“We acknowledge that the Nigerian Army has conducted operations in the broader Auchi area, neutralising some suspects and rescuing victims in forests, they said these efforts have not translated to visible protection or rapid response at this specific checkpoint.
They also accused the soldiers of alleged extortion at the checkpoint.
The people, therefore, demanded a probe into the operations of the checkpoint at “Fertiliser Junction, Igbira Camp axis, including the specific incidents mentioned, response times to distress calls, interactions with local vigilantes and hunters, and any allegations of extortion or misconduct.”
They also request a review of the operations of the soldiers stationed there and appropriate disciplinary measures taken against any of them found culpable.
