Gunmen attack Ogun police station, abduct policeman

Some gunmen have attacked the Marine Police Post, Palace Road in the Isheri Olofin area of Ogun State, stealing ammunition.

The yet-to-be identified gunmen were also believed to have abducted a policeman on duty.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the men, whose number could not be ascertained, had stormed the post in a wooden boat at about 7.30pm last Sunday evening.

Our correspondent gathered that the gunmen shot sporadically into the air. They also ransacked the post for ammunition. The policemen on duty were said to have fled the scene for their lives.

However, after the attack, our correspondent learnt that a policeman, whose name had yet to be known, was taken away by the gunmen, and had not returned to the post.

When our correspondent visited the police post on Wednesday, it was devoid of any activity as the four men sighted on duty were not in uniform. They all declined to make any comments on the attack.

However, a resident near the post, who identified himself as Akeem Lateef, told PUNCH Metro that the missing policeman had not returned to the station since the day of the attack.

He said, “On Sunday evening, we suddenly began to hear gunshots coming from the Isheri River. We all ran inside our houses and locked up our doors. The attackers were possibly heading for another place in their boat. We learnt some of the policemen at the post had flashed their torches at the gunmen’s boat as it approached, and the attackers became enraged.

“There was a serious shootout between them. You know, the policemen were caught unawares, so the gunmen gained an upper hand. The officers ran away, but one of them was carried away by the attackers. I don’t know his name, as we don’t call them by names. He has not returned to the post since Sunday.”

A police source in the area, while confirming the attack, added that the gunmen carted away the police ammunition during the attack, and the officer that was taken away had yet to be found.

Our correspondent learnt that the policemen work and live inside the post.

Another resident, who gave his name simply as Olufemi, told our correspondent that no other house was attacked in the area on Sunday night except the police post.

He said, “On the Isheri River at night, you have different people travelling with different missions. In this area, there are a number of cult groups, although they don’t attack innocent residents.

“On that Sunday evening, no other apartment was attacked except the police post. I think it was while the police tried to intercept their movement that the shootout began.”

When contacted for comments, the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, referred our correspondent to the Force Headquarters, Abuja, adding that he was not aware of the attack on the police post.

“I am not aware. You may wish to find out from the Force Headquarters,” he wrote in a text message.

The Force Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojukwu, found it difficult to comprehend our correspondent when he spoke to the FPRO on the telephone.

Our correspondent subsequently sent a text message to Ojukwu, detailing the incident.

However, when our correspondent later called the FPRO on the telephone, the phone rang out. Ojukwu had also yet to reply to the text message as of press time.

PUNCH