Details have emerges how a Local Government Vice Chairman in Kogi State narrowly escaped abduction near her house, even as the attackers led a commercial driver into the bush after taking items from his passengers.
The incident happened on Wednesday, 11th August at Ogene Igah in Olamabiro Local Government Area, LGA.
It was gathered that the LG Vice Chairman, Mrs. Blessing Ekele, who hails from the village was making a phone calls, beside a road close to her house, when she encountered the gunmen, suspected to be Fulani, who opened fire into the neighborhood. She immediately retreated and ran into her house.
An awe-stricken Ekele recalled the close shave with the evil men: “I was by the road trying to make calls due to lack of network in my village. Suddenly, I heard gunshots and turned to look in the direction of the sound of the shots, and I saw live bullets coming in my direction.
“A vehicle, on charter from Otukpa, conveying a woman and her two sons said to be mentally unstable and her sister was flagged down. I saw four young men ran out of the bush, firing and asking the driver to pack. At that point, I ran into the house.
“The gunshots were massive and after a while, they came to my house and fired about 7 shots, and released more bullets after my house. They abducted the driver of the Golf car, took the woman’s phones, money and ran back into the bush.”
Ekele said the patrol team of men of the Nigerian Police Force, Navy, Neighborhood Watch, and vigilante group came to the scene of the incident that night and took the woman and her sons to the police station at Okpo, the headquarters of the local government.
Friday Adejoh, Chairman LGA who was among the early callers at the scene of the crime, sympathized with Ekele and vowed to uncover those behind the attack. He promised to strengthen security in the area.
The council chairman also held a closed-door meeting with security agencies in the areas, including the local vigilante group, neighborhood watch, and hunters. He charged them to fish out the perpetrators and other criminal elements in the LG from their hideouts.
