The Guardian (Nigeria)

Again, gunmen ambush travellers in Ekiti, kill one

- From Ayodele Afolabi, Ado- Ekiti

GUNMEN, suspected to be kidnappers, have ambushed travellers in Ekiti State, killing one person while the whereabout­s of others are still unknown as of the time of filing this report.

The incident was not an isolated case, as kidnapping­s have become recurring occurrence­s in the state, with casualties recorded in most cases.

It was gathered that victims of the attack were ambushed

Police confirm incident

late on Saturday evening at a location between Ikere- Ekiti, headquarte­rs of Ikere Local Council and Iju, a boundary town in Ondo State.

The victims were said to have been waylaid after the hoodlums suddenly came out from the bush to stop their vehicles with guns. It was, however, not clear as of the time of filing this report if about three vehicles said to have been attacked managed to escape with

Mtheir passengers. EANWHILE, spokesman for the Police Command, ASP Sunday Abutu, who confirmed the incident to newsmen in Ado- Ekiti, yesterday, said one person lost his life to the attack.

According to him, the passengers who were travelling in a Sharon Mini Bus that was attacked were coming from Ondo State and heading towards Ekiti when the incident happened.

Abutu, who said the command had already launched a “discrete investigat­ion and serious manhunt” to unmask the gunmen, disclosed that the driver of the bus managed to escape from the scene with the vehicle and ran to Ilupeju- Ikere Divisional Police Headquarte­rs in Ekiti State to report the incident.

“The driver said he was courageous 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, IkereEkiti, where he later died.

“The Ekiti State Commission­er of Police implores everyone in the state not to panic as the command shall 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, therefore, urged the people of the state with useful informatio­n that could lead to the arrest of the gunmen not to hesitate doing so at any nearest police station.

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