Ogun Kidnap Attack: 4 Hostages, Soldier Dead After Gunmen Raid Chinese Expatriates’ Site

Four hostages and a soldier were killed during a violent kidnapping incident targeting Chinese expatriates at a dredging site in Magbon Village, Mowe, within Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.

The attack occurred in the early hours of Monday when suspected kidnappers stormed the dredging site, popularly known as Capo, where expatriate workers were carrying out operations.

According to eyewitness accounts, security personnel engaged the attackers in a gun battle, during which one soldier was killed and another sustained gunshot wounds.

Sources also revealed that a local hunter assisting security operatives during a subsequent bush-combing operation lost his life while pursuing the fleeing criminals.

Confirming the incident, the Assistant Director of Army Public Relations, 35 Artillery Brigade, Major Idereghi Akari, said troops working alongside the Nigeria Police responded to a distress call from the dredging site.

He explained that a fierce exchange of fire followed, leading to the death of one suspected kidnapper, while others retreated into nearby forests towards the Ogun River.

According to Akari, the attackers seized five people as human shields while attempting to escape from security forces reinforced by a Quick Response Force.

“The four hostages were later killed by the fleeing attackers before they escaped through the river channel with a boat,” he said.

One of the hostages reportedly escaped and informed authorities that the criminals took away the body of their slain accomplice as they fled.

The Army spokesman further disclosed that one soldier died in the encounter, while another soldier and two police officers sustained gunshot injuries.

The bodies of the deceased soldier and the four victims have been deposited at the General Hospital mortuary in Sagamu, while the injured personnel are receiving treatment.

Major Akari said security agencies have intensified patrols and surveillance across the area to restore normalcy and prevent further attacks.

He reaffirmed the military’s commitment to protecting lives and property, assuring residents that ongoing operations in the Mowe axis would continue until those responsible for the attack are apprehended.