The demonstration on Tuesday comes a day after reports emerged that four communities in the same local government area had been attacked by gunmen, resulting in the deaths of more than 20 people.

The affected communities — Aba Alajido, Aba Sunday, Aba Pastor, and Ademekun — were reportedly targeted by armed men suspected to be bandits. However, the state government has denied that such an attack took place.

The protesters, mostly women, marched through Akure, carrying placards and chanting slogans demanding the release of the abducted surveyors.

They gathered outside the Governor’s Office in Alagbaka, calling on Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the Ondo state governor, to take decisive action against rising kidnappings in the state.

According to the demonstrators, the nine surveyors were working on-site at Ilu-Abo when armed men suddenly emerged from the bush and took them away last Tuesday.

Speaking on behalf of the governor, Bola Taiwo, the special adviser on union matters and special duties, blamed the surveyors for failing to hire security escorts before going to the site.

“We shall speak with your leaders if they have reported the incident to the police. If they have not reported to the police, they should go there that’s when government would act,” he said.

“Nowadays, any surveyors going to site should go with police escorts, if they do, no gunmen would abduct them. No one can kidnap anyone without internal collaborators.

“You shall now go back to Ilu-Abo and cry out that those who abducted the surveyors should release them. No Hausa or Fulani man can come to Ilu-Abo and kidnap with the connivance of one of the natives.

“It is your people that kidnapped the nine surveyors. We will meet with your leaders and discuss with them”

Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, the police spokesperson in the state, was not available for comments on the incident.