The real story behind the brutal murder of an army officer and four policemen including civilians has been revealed.
A police patrol van burnt by kidnappers that invaded Yewa, Isawo community in Ikorodu area of Lagos yesterday
It was a bloody fight yesterday as suspected militants cum
kidnappers brought mayhem on residents of Yewa, Isawo community in
Ikorodu area of Lagos was resulting in the deaths of six persons,
including an Army Captain, four policemen, a landlord and a member of
the Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, dead.
The OPC member was set ablaze and police patrol van was also burnt during the two-hour shoot-out, according to Vanguard.
Also, two members of the kidnap gang, who were felled during the
cross fire, were carried into speed boats by their colleagues and
ferried to an unknown destination in the creeks.
It was gathered that the militants numbering over 20, stormed the
area at about 1am in 10 speed boats. While some of them positioned
themselves strategically around the creeks, others marched into an
estate in the community where they broke into buildings and abducted
occupants.
The armed criminals warning their victims to co-operate or be
killed abducted no fewer than 18 persons - 14 men and three women, among
them were four landlords.
However, while taking them to their operational speed boats in the
creeks, security operatives comprising policemen from Owutu division and
a Joint Military patrol codenamed Operation Awatse, who were contacted
by fear-stricken residents, arrived the area.
A resident, Jibola Ajiboye, revealed: “When the security agents
arrived, the kidnappers were already heading towards the creeks with
those abducted. They chased them into the creeks unknown to them that
the kidnappers had laid ambush for them.
“The gunshots lasted between 1am and 3am. From our windows, we
saw some of the security vehicles retreating and responding at the same
time. We also saw some of the kidnappers jumping out from the
uncompleted buildings by the creeks, where most of them hid. Some of
them tied red bands on their heads and arms.”
Some of the brave victims, who managed to escape during the
shoot-out, were said to have sustained varying degrees of injuries. At
press time, some policemen and injured victims were still receiving
treatment at an undisclosed hospital.
Another resident, who simply gave his name as Musibau, said the blaring sirens apparently gave the security agents away.
“It was the sound of the siren that gave the security agents away.
Perhaps, if they had come unannounced they would not have suffered much
casualty. My brother was among those that was kidnapped. His wife called
me immediately the bastards (kidnappers) were banging on their door. I
was among those who contacted the Police. But when I tried to reach her
later, I could not. About 10 minutes later, she called again and left
the phone on, from where I heard different voices giving orders to them
to march out quietly. One of them said, ‘Scorpion, if he tries to
misbehave, waste am.’
“At that point, I concluded that they had abducted all of them,
until few minutes later when she called in tears, informing that her
husband had been taken away. This whole place was like a theatre of war.
Most of us hid under our beds and covered ourselves with objects in
order to prevent being hit by stray bullets.
‘’The shooting was both on land and in the creeks. In the
confusion, some of those who were abducted managed to escape because
they are conversant with the terrain. My brother was among those who
escaped but he had a deep cut on his leg, as he was pierced by a broken
bottle. Even after the shooting on land died down, it continued in the
creeks until 5.30am.
‘’Nobody could go out of his house until 7am. Some of those
going to work had to call their offices because we were unsure of what
the situation was. By the time we summoned courage to leave our rooms,
we were made to understand that an Army personnel, four policemen and
one of our landlords were killed.”
A senior Police officer,who pleaded anonymity, narrated how the incident occurred to Vanguard.
He said: “There was a distress call in the middle of the night
and my colleagues led by an Inspector went there in a patrol vehicle,
where they met some military men on ground. They jointly rescued some of
the victims.
‘’Unfortunately, they drove into the ambush of the militants,
who opened fire on sighting them. Leader of the team and three other
policemen lost their lives in the process. Three other policemen were
critically injured, while an undisclosed number of military personnel
also lost their lives."
A landlord and an OPC member simply identified as Osase
volunteered to join the team but when bullets from the militants could
not penetrate the OPC man, the militants tied him with a rope and set
him ablaze, with the patrol vehicle.
Vanguard gathered that yesterday’s incident was a reprisal attack
on the community, following the killing of a leader of the kidnappers,
popularly called “Big Fsh” by some members of the OPC, few weeks ago.
When Vanguard visited the area, residents were still gripped with
fear. Expressing fear over the safety of their lives, they disclosed
that yesterday’s incident was not the first time militants would storm
the area.
A petty trader, who would not want her name in print, said: “It
all started after they were dislodged by the military. The
dislodgement came as a huge relief for us, after years of being under
their claws. They were using this area as exit point after stealing
petroleum products. Later, they turned it into a kidnap den. Nobody
could talk for fear of being killed. The military rose to the challenge
after the killing of some DSS men and policemen.
‘’Our relief was short lived as they started raiding buildings
and carting away valuables, including cash. Woe betide anyone, who does
not have money in the house. This started immediately the military left
their post at Ishawo. We complained but there was no response from
security agents. Today’s (yesterday) incident is the worst since they
returned.’’
Captain Mohammed has been identified as one of the officers who lost his life during the ambush.
Vanguard gathered that the Army Captain and his colleagues, were
among those attached to Operation Awatse, who were deployed to Ikorodu
to dislodge militants who had in recent time, vandalized several
petroleum pipelines belonging to the NNPC and robbed many bank within
Ikorodu, Lekki, Festac and Agbara areas of Lagos and Ogun states.
Sources disclosed that the militants, who were formerly dislodged
from Isawo and Arepo were forced to move deep into the creeks in
Ajegunle areas of Ikorodu, where they formed a new base.
They had one ‘General Stone’ as commander and had, last week, kidnapped four persons around Isawo area of Ikorodu.
Vanguard learned that the police intercepted intelligence that the
notorious gang had kidnapped some people and also got a tip-off,
identifying the exact locations where the kidnappers kept their victims
within the Ikorodu creek. Our source disclosed that following the
intelligence report, Captain Mohammed, was asked to lead the team of
operatives which also included policemen from the Owutu police station.
According to the source, a senior military officer attached to the
unit said: “our men had rescued the men successfully and they were
leaving when they were ambushed and killed. Captain Mohammed, was a
dedicated officer, who is brave and highly supportive. I am yet to get
the full brief of what happened but this was what I was told. I want to
assure you that we will respond accordingly. We will not allow killers
of an army Captain to go free.”
Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, in a statement, said: “At
about 0100 hours of today 09/04/2017 (yesterday), the Police received
distress call that a group of militants/kidnappers had entered
Owutu-Isawo in Ikorodu through the thick swampy forest surrounding the
area.
‘’They were reported to have kidnapped some residents. In
response, the Police and the Army immediately mobilized personnel to the
area, where the kidnapped victims were rescued. Sadly, however, five
out of the gallant, brave and patriotic officers lost their lives during
the rescue operation. One of them was a Nigerian Army Captain, while
the remaining four were policemen. One of the residents in the area also
died.
“Meanwhile, the Command will like to assure the public that
with synergy from sister security agencies, the criminal elements
involved in this dastardly act shall be apprehended and made to face the
full wrath of the law.”
Spokesperson for the Zone 2 Command, comprising Lagos and Ogun
states Police command, Dolapo Badmos informed that the Assistant
Inspector-General of Police in-charge of Zone 2, Onikan, AIG zone 2,
“has put well coordinated intelligence team within the area and
activated the Anti-Kidnapping section of the zone to work hand-in-hand
with Lagos State to forestall a recurrence and to ensure the arrest of
the fleeing hoodlums.”
Acting Deputy Director Army Public Relations, Olaolu Daudu who
reacted to the incident said the joint Army and Police teams were able
to release nine persons who were abducted in the area.
Daudu in a statement said:”The combined team in a swift
response was able to successfully foil the kidnap attempt and rescued
all the abducted victims. Nine of the victims including an infant of
about two years old were rescued from the criminals.”
However, on their way back, they were ambushed by a suspected
criminal gang. During the clearance of the ambush, four policemen
lost their lives while the Army officer who led the operation sustained
gunshot wounds and died on the way to the hospital. Similarly, 4 of
the rescued kidnapped victims including the infant sustained injuries
during the encounter. They have all been evacuated to a hospital and are
responding to treatment.”
LASG commiserates with Police families, vows to go after perpetrators
Also, reacting to the development, Lagos State Government
commiserated with the families of the four policemen and Army Captain,
who lost their lives in the incident.
The state’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve
Ayorinde, in a statement, described the incident as unfortunate but
assured that it would only strengthen its resolve to root crime and
criminality out of the state.
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