Gunmen kill traveller, six herders in Ekiti, Osun
By Victor Akinkuolie & Fisayo Akinduro
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One person whose identity was yet to be known has been reportedly shot dead by gunmen suspected to be kidnappers, while six herders were also killed in Osun.
The Hope Metro gathered that the gunmen laid ambushed for the victims, while in transit in Ikere Ekiti.
The hoodlums were said to have suddenly emerged from the bush and shot sporadically in the air to stop the vehicle and scare the victims.
Confirming the incident to newsmen in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday, the police spokesman, Mr Sunday Abutu, said one person lost his life to the attack.
According to him, the bus involved was coming from Ondo State and heading to Ekiti when the incident happened.
He said the Command had already launched a “discrete investigation and manhunt” to unmask the gunmen.
He disclosed that the driver of the bus managed to escape from the scene with the vehicle and ran to Ikere Divisional Police headquarters in Ekiti State to report the incident.
“The driver said that he was brave enough to have speedily escaped with his passengers from the scene. But in the process, one of the passengers was unfortunately hit by a bullet and was rushed to General Hospital, Ikere-Ekiti where he later died.
The Ekiti State Commissioner of Police implored everyone in the state not to panic, assuring that the Command would join force with Ondo State Police Command to ensure that the perpetrators are made to face the full wrath of the law,”he said.
Abutu called on people with useful information that could lead to the arrest of the gunmen not to hesitate approaching nearest police station.
In a related incident, no fewer than six herdsmen were killed on Saturday night when unknown gunmen raided a settlement in Wasinmi village, Irewole Local Government area of Osun State.
The Hope Metro gathered that the gunmen stormed the Fulani settlement and opened fire, killing six herders on the spot.
It was learnt that those killed were members of the same family.
Confirming the incident, Police Public Relations Officer in Osun, SP Yemisi Opalola, said investigation is ongoing.
The police boss, in a statement issued by the PPRO, said the attack on the family was not connected with any clash between farmers and herders.
The CP noted that preliminary investigations by the police revealed that some yet-to-be identified gunmen stormed, attacked and shot sporadically at a family of six at a settlement, leaving one person injured.
She said the CP Wale Olokode, has moved to the village and Police detectives are currently hunting the perpetrators of the act.
Opalola described the incident as unfortunate and vowed that the culprits would be arrested and brought to book.
Meanwhile, Osun State Government has condemned in totality the killings of the six family members.
The state Deputy Governor, Mr Benedict Alabi, who paid a condolence visit to the bereaved family on Sunday morning, described the killings as disheartening and unfortunate.
Alabi, who was received by scores of family members of the deceased and some leaders in the community, described the incident as a case of brutal assassination, adding that the perpetrators would be brought to book in no distant time.
He added that the state government has ordered the security agencies in the state to fish out the evil doers and bring them before the law.
The Deputy Governor, who was accompanied by the state Commissioner for Finance, Mr Bola Oyebamiji and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Mrs Abiodun Ige, asked members of the community and the citizens of the state at large to remain calm, assuring that government would continue to provide adequate security across the state.
”This is a very unfortunate incident and we are so sad about it as a government. It is shocking and strange to our communities.
“We are here on behalf of the state government to sympathize with you and we are assuring you that those criminal elements that perpetrated this evil act would not go scot-free, we have ordered security agencies to swing into action and fish them out to face the wrath of law”.
He, however, called on members of the community to assist security agents with useful information that could speed up the arrest of the killers.