Gunmen abduct Oyo school proprietress after primary target escapes
SKAiF NewsNG SNN
By Dayo Johnson, Akure
Tension has enveloped an agarian community, Ilu-Abo, in Akure North council area of Ondo state, as gunmen abducted a proprietress of a primary school, Mrs Oladeinde Tomilola and shot three persons.
Reliable source said that the gunmen stormed the her residence, located at Liberty Avenue, at about 8 p.m., shot at her vehicle before whisking her away to an unknown destination.
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Vanguard gathered that the gunmen had ambushed their main target, John Ofuduwa, who is a businessman and shot him in the head, while he was driving into his residence in a Toyota Camry saloon car with Abuja registration number GWA 674 CM.
It was learned that in the same incident, the proprietress, Mrs Oladeinde Tomilola, who is a neighbour and about to enter her compound, was abducted by the attackers who could not abducted the businessman after he was shot.
Two other persons, Victoria, and her daughter, Victoria Olorunfemi, aged 11 years, who were passing through the area, also sustained varying degrees of injuries as a result of the gunshots.
In a swift response to the abduction and shooting of the victims, residents of the community, protested by shutting down the Akure-Owo Highway.
They barricaded the highway and brought vehicular movement to a standstill as commercial drivers, commuters, and motorists were stranded for hours.
‘We can’t sleep anymore’
A local, Ayodele Salako, told Vanguard that the protest was to show their displeasure over incessant abduction in the community.
Salako decried the persistent insecurity and the absence of adequate security presence in the council area.
The protesters called on the state government and security agencies to establish a permanent military checkpoint in the community.
They said that only a strong and visible security presence could deter kidnappers and restore confidence among residents
Salako said that “We can no longer sleep with our two eyes closed. Kidnappers are now operating freely in our community. We want the government to act immediately before more lives are lost.”
The Commander, 32 Brigade Artillery of the Nigerian Army, Brig. Gen. Justin Ifeanyi, later joined the Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal during the assessment tour of the community.
They assured that all necessary support would be provided to ensure the apprehension of the attackers and the rescue of the victim.
A statement by the police spokesperson DSP Jimoh Abayomi, said that they visited the scene “to assess the situation and engage with community members”.
Abayomi condemned the attack and reassured residents that existing security frameworks have been reinforced with additional tactical and intelligence-driven measures to ensure the swift arrest of the perpetrators and to forestall any future occurrence.
Police, DSS
The police commissioner also visited the palace of traditional ruler of the community Oba Samuel Oluyemi Falae, the Oluabo of Ilu-Abo.
Oba Falae, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, during the visit, condemned the criminal act and pledged his full support to the Police in ensuring that the perpetrators are identified and brought to justice.
He assured the Commissioner that the palace would mobilize and make available community vigilante groups to complement ongoing police efforts, while also encouraging residents to remain vigilant and cooperate fully with security agencies to rid the area of criminal elements.
Lawal, however, assured the general public that intensive efforts are ongoing, in close collaboration with the Nigerian Army, the Department of State Services, DSS, and other security agencies, as well as relevant non-state actors, to ensure the safe rescue of the abducted victim and the arrest and prosecution of all those responsible for the attack.
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