No
fewer than three policemen and four residents of the Ogun Waterside Local
Government Area of Ogun State lost their lives during encounters with some
gunmen suspected to be militants.
It was learnt that the
three policemen, attached to the Lagos State Special Anti-Robbery Squad, lost
their lives last Thursday after the gunmen abducted a Chinese expatriate.
The
operatives had engaged the gunmen in a shootout when the three policemen were
killed.
Another
resident was also hit by a stray bullet and died on the spot.
It
was gathered that the assailants on Friday attacked the home of a businessman,
identified as Chief Rafiu Daramola, where they reportedly carted away N4.7m.
They
were said to have shot dead three residents while escaping from the scene.
A
community leader, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the three
policemen and one resident were killed in Odi Omi, a boundary community between
Lagos and Ogun states.
He
said, “Last week Thursday, the militants kidnapped a Chinese expatriate. As
they were leaving with their victim, the operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery
Squad engaged them in a gun battle. The gunmen, however, shot dead three
policemen and an indigene. The corpses were later removed and deposited in a
morgue by the police.”
Around
8pm on Friday, the militants attacked the home of the businessman in the Iwopin
community.
A
family member of the victim said the suspects entered the house through the
bathroom and ceiling.
He
said, “Our father had gone to turn on the generator when the men entered the
house. Some of them entered through the bathroom and others came in through the
ceiling.
“They
gathered all his wives and children together and asked for our phones, which we
surrendered to them. They asked for our father and searched everywhere for him.
“When
they could not find him, they asked for where the safe was. They broke into the
room where he kept the safe and damaged it. They took N4.7m and left.”
It
was that the money were proceeds of sales from the bakery and filling station
owned by the businessman.
It
was gathered that there was no bank in the community due to the activities of
the gunmen, who usually move around in groups in the day time.
It was learnt that as the
men were driving back, their operational vehicle broke down and efforts to make
it work were abortive.
A
resident said the gunmen abandoned the bus and trekked back into the community.
He
said, “The community is usually deserted from 8pm when most residents will be
on bed. As a result, there was no vehicle for them to hijack as a getaway.
“They
trekked back and started shooting continuously from around 1am till the early
hours of Saturday. The three victims heard the gunshots and came out to know
what was happening. But they fell into the hands of the gunmen who shot them
dead.”
The
victims were identified as a 25-year-old motorcycle rider, Yusuf Ogunse; a
68-year-old retired local government worker, Omotayo Onokoya; and a farmer from
Edo State, one Ajapa.
A
resident said when the police were alerted to the incident, they refused to
respond, saying it was still dark.
“The
militants, in a bid to guarantee their own safety, continued to shoot till 7am.
They called their colleagues on the telephone and asked them to bring a
speedboat, through which they eventually escaped,” he added.
A
source said when community youths approached the abandoned vehicle, it was
discovered that the number plate had been removed.
However,
some documents were said to have been found, through which the owner was
identified.
“We
called the people at the motor park where the driver worked and they said he
went for a business trip. When he finally returned, they apprehended him and
handed him over to the police. The suspect, an Ijaw youth, was the insider who
gave them the information,” he said.
The
Ogun State police spokesperson, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the killing of the
three residents, adding that the slain policemen were not from the state
command.
He
said, “They invaded the businessman’s house, but our policemen were able to
repel them. At the end of the encounter, we arrested one of the suspects, while
their operational vehicle was recovered.
“The
suspect is helping with investigation. The state Commissioner of Police, Ahmad
Iliyasu, has deployed some special units of the police, including men from the
Federal SARS, Mobile Police Force, Anti-Kidnapping Unit, and other conventional
policemen, in the scene to ensure security of lives and property.”
Source:Punch
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Society