By OLALEKAN OLABULO, Lagos

A security man identified as Temitope Ariyo was killed, while three policemen, alongside many villagers were shot after armed hoodlums reportedly invaded Iraye community in Ogun State.

The attack reportedly occurred last week Wednesday, just about 20 minutes after some policemen from Abuja had visited the village for a fact-finding mission. Wife of the deceased father of five, Beauty Ariyo, has, therefore, raised the alarm to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba Alkali, and well-meaning Nigerians to come to her aid.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that the hoodlums took advantage of the attack to rob residents of their valuables, including money, mobile phones, electronics, among others.

Beauty said: “On Wednesday, he [her husband] left our house at Fakale, near Sagamu. He told me he was going to Iraye. He went to meet some of his family members and I went to work. “It was in the evening that I was called that some people had attacked my husband. They shot him in both legs and used broken glasses to cut his face.

“I was also told that the people dragged him on a motorcycle and took him away when they discovered he was gasping for breath.” An eyewitness, Fausat Olatunji, said: “Many of us were playing at the backyard when we started hearing gunshots. They [hoodlums] initially went down the road and came back to our house. “By then, we had locked the doors but they broke the windows and broke into the house. They beat everybody, including my father and elder brother, who has an eye problem.

“They asked us where Ariyo was, but we told them that we didn’t know. Suddenly, one of them who was wearing dreadlocks took a broken glass and went straight to where Ariyo was hiding and cut him in the face. “They dragged him outside and shot him in the two legs. He was still struggling when one of them stood on his head and threatened to kill him.

“Ariyo was pleading with him, but the man said he had told him he would kill him and one other person (name withheld). He said after killing Ariyo, he would go and kill the other person.” The Baale of Iraye, Chief Balogun Kalejaiye Habeeb, told newsmen that the latest attack was the second in two years and that the hoodlums had taken over the village.

Chief Balogun said: “On Wednesday, January 19, between 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., these hoodlums, numbering over 200 and armed with guns and other dangerous weapons, invaded the community and attacked our children, elderly ones and other villagers. “We had heard rumours that they were coming since last year, but only policemen from Abuja were coming into the town.

“Last Wednesday, the policemen from Abuja said they were here to inspect a palace, but they moved round the village and didn’t find any palace.”

Chief Balogun also added that: “The police from Abuja had barely left the village on Wednesday when these armed hoodlums, who were led by a certain Otunba and others, started shooting in the village. The IGP should save our lives from these criminals.”

A police source at Igode Police Station, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, confirmed the incident. The policeman, however, added that a report had already been sent to the state police headquarters at Eleweran in Abeokuta. He confirmed that: “We don’ t know if the man has been killed or not, but we are investigating the attack on the village and we are investigating a case of a missing person.”

Efforts to speak with the image maker in charge of the state police command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, failed as calls to his mobile phone were not answered. (Nigerian Tribune)

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