Militants fleeing from Lagos/Ogun now regrouping in Ondo

 Some of the escaped vandals and kidnappers responsible for attacks on communities in Lagos and Ogun states are escaping in large numbers to riverine communities in Ilaje and Ese-Odo, Ondo state.
Investigations showed that the guys, who escaped the intensified aerial bombardment by the Nigerian
Air Force of their camps at Arepo and Ikorodu had been sighted in Ore, Okitipupa and the riverine communities of Ondo State.
A top security source disclosed that "Arepo can no longer contain them. Some of them have run to Ondo to hide in the riverine areas.’’

It was further gathered by Punch that some of them are still trapped in Arepo and other communities in Lagos and were making frantic moves to flee.

A source in Ese-Odo said since the military started the bombardment of the militants’ camps on Friday, many of them had fled and regrouped in Ondo State.

The source said, “We have sighted them in some communities here. It seems Arepo is too hot for them.”

A resident of Ajagba in the Irele Local Government Area of the state, who identified himself simply as Francis, said there were strange faces in the local government, adding that it was difficult to identify whether they were fleeing militants or not.’’

He said, “Many people from Niger Delta states are living with us. Some of them do have visitors staying with them, so there is no way we can know if the new faces are the fleeing militants or not. “

Another resident of the state, Musa, who lives in Ore, Odigbo Local Government Area, said the high population made it possible for the militants to run to the commercial town and hide there.

“Ore is a commercial town with people from various tribes here. It is possible for strange people to come and hide here,’’ he said.

Director of Public Relations and Information of Nigerian Air Force, Group Capt. Ayodele Famuyiwa, told Punch on phone that the guys were seen together on Sunday, probably to perfect a plan to run.

He said the cameras on NAF’s platforms that were used for night operations picked some of the insurgents having meetings.

He said the ongoing aerial operation against the vandals would continue until they were flushed out.