Yewa, Isawo community in Ikorodu area of Lagos was,
yesterday, shattered following sporadic gunfire by
suspected kidnappers, which left six persons, including
an Army Captain, four policemen, a landlord and a
member of the Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, dead.
A police patrol van burnt by kidnappers that invaded
Yewa, Isawo community in Ikorodu area of Lagos
yesterday, an incident that left seven 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.
Vanguard gathered that 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.
Information at Vanguard’s disposal revealed that the
kidnappers 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 kidnappers fired sporadically, warning their
victims to co-operate or be killed. Vanguard learned that
no fewer than 18 persons – 14 men and three women
were abducted . Among them were four landlords.
Security operatives’ response
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.
Siren gave security agents away
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 police officer’s account
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.
OPC member set ablaze
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.
Why kidnappers struck
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.’’
How Captain Mohammed died
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.”
Police reaction
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.”
Abducted infant rescued during foiled kidnap attempt —
Army
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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