Policemen and some members of the Oodu’a Peoples Congress (OPC) engaged suspected Niger Delta militants in a gun battle in Ewedogbon, a riverine community in Igando-Ikotun local council development area of Lagos, on Tuesday.
The exchange of gunfire,
which lasted for hours, created tension in the community and forced residents
to abandon their homes even after the gun battle had subsided.
Residents said the
militants stormed the community on Sunday evening, but only kidnapped a woman,
who was returned around 3am on Tuesday.
The victim was believed
to have been raped, since she was freed without any demand for ransom.
“There has been tension
since they kidnapped a young lady from this area on Sunday night,” a landlord
in the area, who refused to disclose his identity, said.
“We just noticed strange
movements on that particular day, and we had been suspecting that they would
return anytime soon. They brought back the lady around 3am today. It’s not as
if they contacted her family members for ransom, she is not even an influential
person to say maybe they collected money from her.
“The lady moved her
things out early this morning, and it appears as if they only abducted her for
pleasure.”
Gideon Osaremi, a
resident who witnessed the incident, narrated how it happened.
He said the militants
broke into some houses, attacked a commercial motorcyclist with machete, and
raided a shop before the arrival of security operatives.
The
militants broke into the shop of a woman, packed her things. They took bread,
can drinks, recharge cards and so many things. We were seeing them from the
place; we were inside our compound – a one-storeyed building.
“Not up to 30 minutes, they reinforced and they were up to 40 this
time around. They kept shooting and going round, and some of us called the
police and when the policemen arrived, they challenged them. One OPC member in
this area also joined the officers to engage them.
“The shooting lasted for over an hour. They were targeting the OPC
man but their bullets could not penetrate his body. Most of the policemen took
cover, except an officer who was also prepared for battle. The policeman kept
firing back at them but when he realised that the bullet was not affecting
them, he stopped shooting.”
Osaremi said the militants retreated when they realised that
security personnel had been reinforced, but they returned to the community when
the security men left.
“After they left, the security men asked those of us who had
gathered by then to move inside, and some people quickly entered their
apartments to take their things with the hope of leaving. Suddenly, the
militants came out and started shooting again.
“This time around, soldiers joined the policemen on ground and the
shooting continued until they escaped.”
TheCable witnessed the arrival of soldiers in armoured personnel
carriers (APCs). Policemen also stationed their vehicles on both sides of the
LASU-Iba road, the entrance of the community.
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