Troops of the 35 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Alamala, Abeokuta, in collaboration with operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, have foiled an attempted abduction of Chinese expatriates at Magbon Village along the Mowe axis in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The operation reportedly followed a distress call from a dredging site where the expatriates were working. While responding to the emergency, the joint security team was ambushed by armed men suspected to be kidnappers, leading to a fierce exchange of gunfire.
In a statement issued by the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations of the 35 Artillery Brigade, Major Idereghi Samuel Akari, the troops engaged the attackers and successfully disrupted the abduction attempt. He confirmed that one of the suspected kidnappers was neutralised during the gun battle, forcing others to flee into surrounding forest terrain.
However, during the chaos, the fleeing assailants abducted five persons and used them as human shields while escaping through the forest towards the Ogun River. The kidnappers were said to have later killed four of the hostages before escaping via a boat, while one survivor managed to escape and alert security operatives.
The Army further disclosed that one soldier lost his life during the encounter, while another soldier and two police officers sustained gunshot injuries. The injured personnel are currently receiving treatment, while the remains of the deceased soldier and the four killed hostages have been deposited at the General Hospital mortuary in Sagamu.
Security agencies have since intensified patrols and surveillance across the area to restore calm and track down the fleeing suspects. The identities of the victims have not yet been released, as operations to apprehend the attackers continue.
Elijah Adeyemi
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