By Adekola Afolabi

Worried by a new spate of murder, banditry and criminal tendencies in Ondo State, a restriction order has been slammed on Okada Operators in the state.
This was just as the State government ordered the immediate closure of Mai Asubahi Night Club and GidanBarau, in Ore, Odigbo Local Government area of the state.
The closure became imperative on the heels of growing security concerns among residents of Ore in Odigbo Local Government Area over the criminal activities of a gang known as Zamfara boys, who specialize in peddling hard drugs/illicit substances and underage commercial sex hawking.
A statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Richard Olatunde, has, consequently, ordered the Commander of the State Security Network, (Amotekun) to mobilize personnel to effect this directive forthwith.
By the order, security agencies have been put on the red alert while okada operators have been outlawed from plying the roads from 6pm till 6 am until further notice.
The restriction order empowered security personnel to arrest and impound any okada or its rider found violating the order.
It would be recalled that last Sunday, a 78-year old church worker, Madam Veronica Dare was hacked to death by yet to be identified ritualists on her way to the church in Oka Akoko while her oesophagues and other vital body parts were removed by the fleeing criminals.
“Areas area where crimes are mostly prevalent are the state capital, Akure, Ifon, Okitipupa and Auga in the Akoko area of the state where a school principal, his vice and the staff were abducted until ransom was paid.
In Okitipupa area of the state, six persons were killed in a cult related show down.
Unconfirmed security sources told The Hope that the wave of insecurity in the state might not be unconnected with some disgruntled elements who are envious of the rising profile and popularity of the state governor to mitigate banditry in the state.
The source said government must be on the alert by monitoring some security personnel from becoming informants to bandits and kidnappers.
He said the inability of the security agents to arrest any suspect from the banditry unleashed on the state showed that the house is leaking and enjoined government to act quickly, insisting something unusual is undermining the security architecture of the state.
He explained that nobody has been arrested even though ransoms have been paid by relations of the victims and yet the police and other security agents have not picked anybody up.
Reports from Iwaro-Oka said the late Church worker, Mrs Dare will be buried on January 14, 2022 to enable grief stricken women in the community who rounded up a protest in the town during which evocative native curses were placed on her killers.