NB247
Terrorists have threatened to begin the enforcement of Sharia law and jihad in parts of Kogi State.
It was gathered that the terrorists kidnapped several travelers near Ikoro last Saturday, a territory where scores of armed terrorists have seized control.
A victim of the kidnap, Lanlege Adewale, had his hand chopped off and was released with a chilling warning to spread the message of their planned jihad.
Mr Adewale described the attackers as armed Fulani men in military regalia, who claimed to control forest territory spanning Kogi, Kwara, and Ekiti States.
Mr Adewale is from Ogbe, a community in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State.
He was said to be travelling between Ogbe and Ikoro, Kogi State, alongside some women when all of them, including three women and two men, were kidnapped by armed men.
The forest where they were held also extends to Kwara and Ekiti states and is currently controlled by the terrorists.
Narrating his ordeal after he was released, Mr Adewale said, “While in the forest, the women were separated. They told us they had come to implement Sharia across Yoruba States and to take over the land.
“They told us they wanted me to go and pass on the message to other people. They said they were preparing for Jihad that would extend to the Atlantic Ocean.”
He said the armed men wore military uniforms, had AK-47 rifles, and had several maps showing the entire country.
When contacted, General Secretary of the Alliance for Yoruba Democratic Movements (AYDM), Popoola Ajayi, said the incident has confirmed the fears of many conscious Yoruba people.
“What we are seeing is a terrorist movement. These terrorists have no cattle and they are not in Yorubaland to graze their cattle but to conquer and take over Yorubaland,” describing the incident as a ‘clear message that Jihad is here with us.
The traditional ruler of Ikoro, a retired General, was recently shot dead by suspected terrorists.
Police sources said the Kogi State Government has intensified efforts to rid the forest of terrorists.