SaharaReporters learnt that the gunmen struck at a mining site in the town where they abducted the Chinese expatriates after killing their police escort and shooting sporadically in the area, causing tension in the town.
Gun-wielding herdsmen, suspected to be of the Fulani stock, have invaded Akere village in Ifewara town, Osun State, abducting three Chinese workers and killing their police escort.
SaharaReporters learnt that the gunmen struck at a mining site in the town where they abducted the Chinese expatriates after killing their police escort and shooting sporadically in the area, causing tension in the town.
Ifewara is the hometown of Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God – one of Nigeria’s household church denominations.
According to eyewitnesses, the herdsmen invaded the site in Ifewara in the Atakunmosa East Local Government Area of the state which belonged to one Aare Gold, otherwise known as Chief Akinsanya, late on Monday.
“The herdsmen were armed with AK-47 rifles; they invaded the site and shot dead the policeman guarding the Chinese. Then they took the three expatriates away. They have reached across to the site owners and they are demanding a ransom of N500 million,” a source said.
Confirming the incident to Vanguard, the Osun Amotekun Corps Commandant, Brig Gen Bashir Adewinmbi (retd.), said a police escort was killed and three Chinese expatriates were kidnapped by some unknown persons.
He said Amotekun personnel had been deployed to the village to search for the kidnapped victims and investigate the circumstances that led to the kidnap but did not confirm the demand of ransom yet.
“It is true that some Chinese expatriates were kidnapped at a mining site in a village in Ifewara by some unknown persons. A police escort was also killed in the process. Our men have been deployed to the village to comb everywhere in an attempt to rescue the victims.
“We are also investigating the circumstances behind the incidence with a view to bringing the culprits to justice,” he said.
The spokesperson for Osun Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Daniel Adigun, also confirmed that the incident happened on Monday, and that a policeman was killed and three expatriates kidnapped.
He added that the abducted Chinese workers had yet to be released.
He, however, did not confirm that any ransom had been demanded.