A kidnapping attempt targeting Chinese expatriates at a dredging site in Ogun State ended in tragedy as four hostages and a soldier lost their lives during a confrontation between security operatives and armed assailants.
The incident occurred on Monday at Magbon Village in the Mowe area of Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area, where expatriate workers were carrying out dredging operations.
It was gathered that the gunmen, suspected to be kidnappers, stormed the facility in the early hours of the day, triggering a security response from military personnel and the police.
Sources said one soldier attached to the security team was killed during the attack, while another soldier sustained gunshot wounds.
A local hunter who joined the search operation for the fleeing suspects was also reportedly killed during the pursuit.
Confirming the development, the Assistant Director of Army Public Relations, 35 Artillery Brigade, Major Idereghi Akari, said troops working alongside police officers responded to a distress call from the dredging site.
According to him, security operatives engaged the attackers in a fierce gun battle, during which one of the suspected kidnappers was shot dead.
Akari explained that the remaining gunmen retreated through nearby forests towards the Ogun River after abandoning their initial mission.
However, they allegedly seized five persons and used them as human shields while attempting to escape from pursuing security forces.
He disclosed that the attackers later killed four of the captives before escaping through a river channel in a boat.
The army spokesman added that one of the hostages managed to escape and informed security authorities that the fleeing gunmen also took away the body of their slain accomplice.
“The incident occurred when a joint security patrol responded to a distress call at a dredging site where expatriate workers were operating.
During the ensuing gun battle, one of the attackers was neutralised, while the others fled through the forest towards the Ogun River,” he said.
He further stated that the deceased soldier and the four slain hostages had been deposited at the General Hospital mortuary in Sagamu, while the injured soldier and two police officers wounded during the operation were receiving treatment.
Major Akari said security agencies had intensified surveillance and patrols across the Mowe axis to restore normalcy and prevent further attacks.
He reaffirmed the military’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property, assuring residents that efforts to track down and arrest the fleeing suspects would continue.