We will punish kidnappers of Iba monarch – Ambode

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Sunday said his administration has the capacity and will to fight all forms of crime and criminality, saying that it would not relent in its efforts until criminal elements have no hiding place in the State.

The Governor who addressed journalists on the safe rescue of the Oniba of Iba, Oba Goriola Oseni, said in the last few weeks, there had been a coordinated onslaught by security agencies in the State against vandals and kidnappers, under the code name ‘Operation Awatse’, adding that the operation would continue until their activities are completely stamped out. 

The Governor, who spoke through the State’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, said that the kidnap of an Oba in Yorubaland was a sacrilege and a complete desecration of the cultural values of the Yoruba race, which according to him, must not go unpunished. He said, “The arrest of these suspects is a clear warning to criminal elements that we value and cherish our Yoruba tradition and will leave no stone unturned to ensure that it is protected from violation by those who have desecrated our values”. 

The Governor also commended the police and other security agencies for their all-round efforts in securing the release of the Oba and effecting the arrests of two of the suspected kidnappers, saying the Oba has since returned safely to his palace. “We are also pleased to announce that two of the kidnappers have been arrested and are here for everybody to see. The kidnappers are also prime suspects in the murder of two persons killed during the kidnap and they will face the full wrath of the law,” the Governor said.