Gunmen on Wednesday night invaded Ilara town in Imeko-Afon Local Government Area of Ogun State, killing two people and abducting a prominent businessman, identified as Ade Bendel.
The attackers reportedly stormed the community around 11 p.m., shooting sporadically to instil fear among residents before seizing their target.
Confirming the incident on Thursday, the traditional ruler of Ilara, Oba Mutiu Adedimeji, said the assailants killed two individuals during the operation and fled with the victim across the border into the Republic of Benin.
According to The PUNCH, the monarch stated, “Yes, the incident happened. They abducted Ade Bendel yesterday (Wednesday) night and killed two people in the attack.
“Some people were able to locate his vehicle at Sabe in Benin Republic, which means that was the route they took to escape.”
A community youth leader, who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the incident, said that gunmen had trailed a businessman, identified as Ade Bendel, to his hotel before opening fire indiscriminately.
According to the youth leader, two people were allegedly killed by stray bullets during the attack, including a female hotel employee.
He said, “Some gunmen kidnapped Ade Bendel around 11 p.m. last night. They followed him to his hotel and began shooting indiscriminately. Two people were reportedly hit by stray bullets and died on the spot. One of them was a female staff member at the hotel.”
Another resident, identified simply as Ade, said several people were injured while trying to flee upon hearing the gunshots. He added that the community has remained on edge since the incident.
“The whole place was in chaos. People were running, and two ladies fell into a ditch while trying to escape. They sustained injuries,” he said.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, Omolola Odutola, said she was working on obtaining details of the incident.
