Ondo Robbery: Motorists Stranded for hours as Soldiers stop, search vehicles

Motorists plying Ondo–Ile oluji road were made to go through a difficult moment on Friday by soldiers who mounted stop and search along the road, after 24 hours of the Thursday bank robberies.

The bank robberies claimed five lives including police officers while several people got injured.

It was gathered that the soldiers who were about seven came around 5o’clock in the evening on Friday in a black Hilux and started stopping and searching passing vehicles and motorcycles.

Our correspondent said the soldiers asked drivers to open their bonnets and booth while passengers’ luggage were ransacked.

The development led to a very long traffic hold up that lasted for over three hours, making many passengers alight from the vehicles to trek kilometers as a result of the delay.

Other vehicles who could not wait any longer found their way out of the long traffic taking Ipetu Ijesa road , In osun state to get to their destinations.

Some motorists who were trying to maneuver themselves by overtaking others were asked to sit on the floor for a longer time.

Those who spoke with our correspondent condemned the act by the soldiers,describing it as unprofessional.

Some of them wondered why the soldiers started stop and search on Friday evening, after a day of the robbery incident.

One of them said “ I am disappointed that the soldiers made us to go through this man-made punishment.

I am trying to take my sick mother to the hospital but we could not pass because of a search that is taking place after a day that the robbery incidents occurred. ”

Others who were trapped in the long traffic jam lamented that the development had disrupted their plans not to travel at night as they were still going a long distance.

One driver said “ we came to ile oluji for a social event and we left earlier so that we could avoid night traveling to Lagos.

Now, that is not possible again because of this stop and search that has taken away two hours from us.
What the soldiers failed to realize is that they would not be with us to see what will happen to many motorists after leaving this point. It is unfortunate.

I am sure they would not see what they are looking for because let’s say there is criminals within us here, they would have turned back and get to another route. This is just punishment.”