Men of the 32 Artillery Brigade Owena Barracks, Akure, the Ondo State capital, have said that they are ready to rid the society of kidnappers and bandits in Ondo and neighbouring Ekiti State.

According to the Commander, Brig.Gen, Zakari Logun Abubakar, parts of the plan to rid and fight kidnapping epidemic was the launching of the “Special Anti-Kidnapping Squad” of the military.

He lamented the rampant cases of kidnapping fast becoming a growing business for criminals who use the deep forest to cover up and demand huge ransom.

Abubakar, who assured that the military would fight the scourge of kidnapping with full strength in the states, declared that the days of the criminal elements are numbered.

He revealed the military has put in place the necessary modalities to ensure kidnapping is either curbed or reduced to the barest minimum.

The Brig. Gen, however, added the military has already instituted an emergency against the fights of kidnapping both in the states and their boundaries.

His words: “To fight this scourge headlong; we have already launched the anti-kidnaping squad of the military section.

“This squad, which is a special one, would be active, mobile and swift in reacting to cases of kidnapping in the states of our jurisdiction.

“To achieve this vigour, they are to mount strategic locations of the roads, check on passengers and vigilant to react to kidnap cases.

“We have identified the prone areas where these criminal elements use to perpetrate their evil work. They are bushes in Ondo, Ekiti, and Ibilo that is in Kogi State.”

Abubakar said the Special Squad (Anti-kidnapping) which is a wing directly under his Command was manned by a trained senior military officer, Captain B.M. Danlima.

He noted the Army had reached out to stakeholders in the security sector, which included community leaders and the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association of Nigeria to further achieve success in the bid to wage war on kidnapping. (The Nation)