Members of a sociocultural organisation of indigenes of the ancient town of Osogbo, living in Kwara, Concerned Oroki Elite Group, have expressed deep concern over the continued rise in armed robbery attacks and other violent crimes in the state capital of Osun.
In a statement by the Director of Communication of the organisation, Engineer Ahmad Olanrewaju, the group called on the state government and security agencies to urgently intervene and rescue the community from the grip of criminal bandits.
The organisation, which called for swift action, said that victims of armed robbery attacks had narrated tales of woes in the hands of the criminals, apart from deaths of loved ones and loss of property.
The people said that efforts should be intensified to arrest culprits, adding that crimes and criminality had festered in the area because perpetrators usually evade arrest.
The statement narrated how an unknown group of people launched an attack on Mr. Olukunle Amos Fagbemi’s family at exactly 9:00 pm on December 12, 2023, at his house situated at Zone-12, Oke Arungbo area, Osogbo, Osun.
According to an eyewitness of the incident, who is the son of the victim, Oladayo Peter Fagbemi, now living abroad, he said that the total number of people in the house during the attack was five.
He also said that the armed robbery gang set the house and a car in the compound on fire apparently because they could not get their target or see enough items to take away.
“All thanks to some of our neighbours that came to rescue us after the property was set on fire”, he said.
He also stated that their father had a panic attack and was rushed to the hospital.
Oladayo, who said that all the victims of the attack sustained fractures and injury, however, added that no life was lost in the unforeseen incident.
The eyewitness said that the incident had left members of the family with some unanswered questions, “like if this really was a robbery attack, a deliberate attack on the family as a whole or a targeted attack on one of the victim’s sons.
“The medical doctor in the hospital which dad was rushed to, Dr. B.O. Alabi, confirmed to us that dad was a known hypertensive and diabetic patient in the hospital. He said that dad was rushed in at 9:58pm in a comatose state and still yet to respond to treatment”.
Also speaking, another eyewitness in the area that sought anonymity, said that the criminals had probably come for the son of Mr. Fagbemi, who the source said had already travelled out of the country about a week ago.
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