There was a massive protest in the Ajebamidele area of Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, following the abduction of four residents by some unknown gunmen on Tuesday evening.

The enraged residents trooped out en masse and blocked the Ado-Ikere highway during a protest that started at about 7.00am on Wednesday, leaving hundreds of motorists stranded.

The abduction incident, which took place in Goshen Land Community in Ajebamidele, had left residents in shock with economic and social activities paralysed.

All shops and business centres in Ado Ekiti remained closed at the time of this report.

The protesters disclosed that a couple, whose names were given as Mr and Mrs Falomo and a man said to be a pastor were among the kidnapped victims.

Mrs Falomo was said to have been trailed to her residence by the kidnappers who were said to be armed with AK-47 rifles. Her husband, who came out on a rescue mission, was also abducted.

According to the residents, the kidnappers fired several gunshots into the air during the attack to prevent any rescue of the victims with some residents just arriving at the fleeing in different directions.

The other two victims were said to have been kidnapped as the gunmen were making their way out of the community. Policemen from the Ologede Police Station, along Ikere Road, arrived at the crime scene shortly after the kidnappers had left.

The protesting residents decried the level of insecurity in the land and called on both federal and state governments to urgently do something to save them from criminals.

Some of their placards read, “Save Us From Kidnappers,” “We Are No Longer Safe, Government Come To Our Rescue,” “Ajebamidele On Fire, Kidnappers Have Taken Over,” “No Movement On The Road Until Government Stops Kidnapping,” “Citizens Are No Longer Safe, What Is Happening,” “Security Is A Dividend of Democracy, Give It To Us,” “Ajebamidele Must Be Free From Kidnappers and Robbers,” among others.

There were massive rows of vehicles on both sides of the Ado-Ikere highway with police officers appealing to the protesting residents to allow a free flow of traffic which they rebuffed.

The road was reopened to traffic at about 10.05am after the police had succeeded in convincing the protesters to allow traffic to resume.