Gunmen, believed to be around seven in number, have reportedly taken the life of one individual and abducted seven others along the Sagamu-Ijebu-Ode expressway.
According to reports, the armed assailants, armed with A.K 47 rifles, ambushed and attacked travelers between the Ilisan, Ceplast industry, and Iperu junction area of the expressway on Friday.
A victim, identified as a driver heading to Lagos, recounted the harrowing experience of how the gunmen halted their vehicles with gunfire and then forced them into the nearby bush.
He described the incident occurring around 5 pm, with the gunmen heavily armed and one person killed inside a Lexus car. The victims were led deeper into the bush, where the assailants demanded money and valuables. Two individuals, including the narrator, were eventually released, while the others remained captive.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Ogun State police command, SP Omolola Odutola, stated that while the exact number of abductees couldn’t be confirmed, the gunmen fatally shot one traveler. The incident, reported on May 3 around 6:55 pm, is being treated as a case of armed robbery, murder, and kidnapping.
The Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, expressed dissatisfaction with the security breach and has instructed tactical units to pursue the perpetrators urgently.
This recent incident follows a similar attack three weeks prior, where armed gunmen assaulted Ajadeh Event Centre along the Iperu-Sagamu road, resulting in the death of Professor Yinka Olomojobi, a lecturer at Babcock University, Ilisan Remo.
Professor Olomojobi, known for his expertise in Human Rights and Gender Law, was reportedly killed for resisting abduction during the attack. Two others were abducted during the incident.
The police have identified Awada Ishaya from Plateau State as a prime suspect in the attack, who had recently been employed as a security guard at the event center.
