People flee Ogun communities after six die in failed kidnapping

Some residents of Fowowawo, Ajerogun, and Magbon-Etido in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State have left their homes after a failed kidnapping attempt that resulted in the deaths of six people.

PUNCH Metro reporters who visited the communities on Wednesday noticed that many houses and shops were locked up, while the usually busy areas had quieted down significantly.

On Monday morning, suspected kidnappers attacked a dredging site in the area, trying to abduct a Chinese national, but they did not succeed.

The Ogun State Police Command confirmed that the attack led to the death of a soldier, a local hunter, and four other people.

Police Public Relations Officer Babaseyi Oluseyi said that one of the suspected kidnappers was killed during a shootout with security forces who responded to the attack.

Our reporters saw that many homes looked abandoned, and those who stayed behind voiced fears that another attack could happen soon.

It was reported that a similar kidnapping incident took place in the same communities around three years ago. The kidnappers collected ransom before releasing their victims back then.

The road connecting the communities to Ofada, which has the nearest police post, is in terrible condition. This makes it hard for people to access the area easily.

One resident, who did not want to be named, said he was among the local hunters who rushed to the scene after hearing gunshots. He said about five gunmen were involved in the attack.

The resident explained that they thought there was a fight among workers at the dredging site, which is why the local hunters went there.

When they arrived, they unknowingly walked into an ambush set up by the gunmen. The resident shared that when they realized it was a trap, they fired a warning shot into the air. The gunmen then shot back, injuring one of their group while the others ran away for safety.

He said, “We were informed that some boys were fighting, and our Baale called us to go there. When we got there, we were in the midst of the kidnappers, but we didn’t know they were kidnappers. There were five.

“The Agbekoya that was among us shot into the air so that we could know where they were, but they responded by firing at us. It was a bullet from their gunfire that hit one guy called Ewe. Everyone began scampering for safety. I escaped through the water.

“When we came out to call for support at about 2pm, the security forces did not arrive until about 6pm. When we got back to the scene, Ewe had already died. A similar kidnapping had occurred about three years ago, and the kidnappers escaped through the river.

“It was because the kidnappers realized that they might not be able to escape because many people were already coming out that they resorted to killing those they killed. One of the women who sold koko was said to be selling to one of the soldiers when they shot the soldier.”

The resident added that the presence of two soldiers guarding the dredging site and the workers made the gunmen open fire to kidnap the Chinese national. He worried that such an incident might happen again since a similar attack happened three years ago. Many residents had already fled their homes since the incident on Monday.

The Baale of Ajerogun Community, Nurudeen Salisu, said that Monday morning turned tense around 10am when news broke that gunmen had attacked the dredging site.

He mentioned that the gunmen killed one soldier and injured another while abducting four people, including three workers and a trader.

Salisu said, “An incident like this happened about three years ago when some workers at the dredging site were kidnapped. They were released after a ransom of N5m was paid. Since then, we told the dredgers to engage security operatives, which they did by employing the services of soldiers.

“It was a Chinese man who joined them at the dredging site about a year ago who was the target of the kidnappers, but I guess when they arrived and saw the soldiers, that was why they killed one of them and broke the leg of the second soldier.

“When we heard that they had taken four people with them after killing the soldier, I called Oke-Oko Community to alert them that the kidnappers might want to pass through the area and that they should be vigilant. The Baale of Oke-Oko sent some men to ambush them, but the kidnappers killed two of the men and killed three out of the four people they took from the dredging site.”

Salisu added that one of the victims who escaped said the attackers were suspected Fulani gunmen. He noted that one kidnapper was shot during the exchange of gunfire with soldiers.

“The man who escaped explained that the injured soldier shot one of the kidnappers, and when his colleagues realized that he was weak, they shot him dead themselves.

“The police, army, and other security agencies have tried their best since the incident happened. They combed all the bushes. But the first set of policemen that arrived were not adequately armed, which the government must look into. About eight policemen came with just one gun. Our local hunters were not adequately armed either. The road is also not good, which was the excuse they gave, and it is understandable because the road is bad.

“Most people who lived here have left their homes. Many people have packed up their families and left the community. I am just appealing to them to return because the situation is under control,” the community leader added.

Another resident, Musbau Adenekan, who is the Chairman of the Agbekoya group in Fowowawo Community, said the incident has caused panic, agreeing that many residents have fled their homes due to fear.

“This community is always full of activities from traders and dredgers, but since the incident happened on Monday, there has been panic, and some people have already left their homes,” Adenekan added.

The state police command has reassured residents that the incident is not linked to banditry. They also said they are working to catch the fleeing suspects.