Again, militants strike in Lagos, kill, abduct residents

In spite of the military onslaught against militants in the creeks located in communities in Ogun and Lagos states, the  militants  attacked Yewa Phase 2 of Ikorodu community area at about 8.00 p.m., on Friday.

It was learnt that a resident simply identified as Daniel was kidnapped in the community.

Sunday Tribune gathered that when the police from Owutu community were contacted by the community members on Friday, the police and Rapid Response Squad (RRS) initially said they would not be able to follow the family members to the creek, if no members of Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) would not follow them.

A source told Sunday Tribune that after the Community Development Association (CDA) meeting on Saturday morning, the RRS and the police were again called but that they insisted they were not ready to go since the militants were in creeks.

He said, “After the attack, when we called the police, they said they would not be able to follow us since the militants were in  the creeks.

“After some time, we observed three trucks of deployed troops of RRS and the police.

“The police later followed us, but waited at the water side, while the family members of the abducted person and OPC members went to the creeks through canoe to rescue the victims, and paid the amount of money which they had discussed with the family members. I don’t know how much they demanded.

“The OPC and the family were seen deliberating with the militants from afar but no one could near there since it was all on water.

“We saw three of the militants who came out of the creek. When they came out, they saw a large number of people and they sensed that something was wrong. That was why they seized the OPC’s boat.

“Surprisingly, one of them, whose name is Timi, also known as Big Fish removed his mask, but they (the OPC members) were not with any weapon. They were reciting incantations.

“When they collected the money for his ransom, they released him to his family members, collected the guns that were with the OPC members, shot two of the OPC members on their legs and went back to the creek.

“The police, could not shoot at them because they did not  know the abducted person, and was careful  so that the militants won’t fire gun at the victim who was about to be released.

“They seized the canoe that the OPC guys used to transport themselves to the creek. Thank God the OPC members could swim. If not, we would have lost three lives there.

“When they got back to the land, the OPC members were immediately taken to the hospital. But one of them is dead.”

However, the state police spokesperson, SP Dolapo Badmos, could not be reached as of press time.

Meanwhile, the onslaught on the base of the militants’ camps continued, on Saturday, in Ikorodu area of Lagos State.

A resident of Igbo Olomu, who simply identified himself as Daddy Peace told the Sunday Tribune that “they (military) came again this morning and bombed the creek again.”

He added that “they attacked the place twice and the plane hovered in the air for a long time, before it disappeared; and it has not come back since then.”

Another resident, Sile, told the Sunday Tribune that “the problem now is that these militants  have penetrated some of the communities.”

Sile  also stated that “one person was again kidnapped in the early hours of today (Saturday)  at Yewa community and they also killed a security man.”

The resident urged the police in the state to complement what the military was doing by ensuring that they comb the communities  and arrest some of the militants, who had invaded these communities.

Dare, a  resident  of Arepo also told the Sunday Tribune that the air raid also continued on Saturday in the area, as the military reportedly shot at the creeks as the plane hovered in the area.

Dare also stated that the shooting had continued to create fears among residents, who mistook the shootings for a clash between the militants and the military men.