Two people were reportedly killed following an attack by gunmen in Ilara town, located in the Imeko-Afon Local Government Area of Ogun State, on Wednesday night. During the incident, the assailants also kidnapped a well-known businessman, Ade Bendel.
Residents of the town, who spoke to PUNCH Metro on Thursday, revealed that the gunmen invaded the community around 11 p.m., opening fire indiscriminately. Oba Mutiu Adedimeji, the town’s monarch, confirmed that two individuals lost their lives in the attack.
He explained that after abducting Bendel, the gunmen fled into the Republic of Benin, leaving the victim’s vehicle abandoned along their escape route. “Yes, the incident happened. They abducted Ade Bendel last night and killed two people during the attack. Some people managed to locate his vehicle at Sabe in Benin Republic, indicating the route they took to escape,” Oba Adedimeji stated.
A youth leader from the community, who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the situation, shared that the gunmen had trailed Bendel to his hotel before starting to shoot. He indicated that a stray bullet struck and killed two individuals, including a hotel employee. “The gunmen kidnapped Ade Bendel around 11 p.m. They followed him to his hotel and began shooting. Two people were reportedly killed by stray bullets, including a female employee at the hotel,” he said.
Another resident, known only as Ade, reported that several individuals were injured while trying to escape the gunfire. He described the atmosphere in the community as one of panic since the incident occurred. “We heard gunshots, which caused people to panic. Two ladies got injured after falling into a ditch while trying to flee,” Ade recounted.
When contacted for a response, Omolola Odutola, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, stated that she was in the process of gathering details about the incident but had not provided an update by the time of this report. Additionally, a police officer in the area confirmed the occurrence of the incident but refrained from commenting on the number of casualties or providing further details. “The incident happened, but I cannot disclose the number of casualties or give additional information,” the officer said.
