Suspected gunmen kill woman, abduct husband in Edo

Tragedy struck on Monday as suspected gunmen invaded Ubuneke-Ivbiaro Community in Owan East Local Government Area of Edo State, killing a woman and abducting her husband.

The Nigerian Tribune gathered that the gunmen allegedly stormed the deceased’s house at about 8:00 p.m., shot her dead, and whisked away her husband, later identified as Arimazoya Abona, amid heavy gunfire.

An eyewitness who spoke on condition of anonymity said neighbours were alerted and rushed to the scene, only to find the lifeless body of the woman lying in front of the house in a pool of blood, while her husband had been taken away by the assailants.

The gunmen were said to have come through a bush path in the Ivbiaro-Auchi-Ikpeshi forest to abduct the man, who is said to be in his 70s.

Youths in the community reportedly mobilized and ventured into the bush in pursuit of the abductors in an attempt to rescue the victim, but their efforts were unsuccessful.

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Officers from the Nigeria Police Force at the Afuze Divisional Headquarters, along with personnel of the Nigerian Army, reportedly visited the scene of the incident, while the corpse of the deceased was deposited in a morgue.

The abductors are said to have contacted the family, demanding a ransom of N100 million.

As of the time of filing this report, the police authorities had yet to issue a statement on the incident.

Protest Erupts on Ugbowo-Lagos Road Over Alleged Harassment

In a separate development, irate youths on Monday caused a major traffic gridlock on the Ugbowo-Lagos Road over alleged harassment and intimidation by security personnel.

In their separate remarks, the protesters, who spoke on condition of anonymity, decried the arrest of their colleagues as well as the incessant harassment of young men in the state by security agencies.

During the protest, the demonstrators vandalised a security van conveying officers suspected to be vigilante members at the Isihor axis of the Ugbowo-Lagos Road, leaving road users and motorists stranded for hours.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE