Gunmen have killed a senior palace chief in Iduah Kingdom, Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State, and abducted two of his daughters in a late-night attack that has thrown the community into panic.
The victim, Chief Jimah Jacob Ogboi, was reportedly attacked at his residence on Monday night by armed assailants who stormed his home and shot him at close range. His wife was also brutally attacked with machetes and other dangerous weapons, leaving her in critical condition.
One of the deceased’s sons, Lucky, said he was away from home when the incident occurred.
“I received a call that my father had been shot. When I returned home, I met my mother in a critical condition, and my two sisters had been taken away,” he recounted.
A community source said the incident triggered an emergency meeting of elders to deliberate on measures to secure the release of the abducted daughters and address security concerns in the area.
The traditional ruler of the community, HRH Alhaji Amedu Momoh, appealed to the Edo State Government and security agencies to urgently intervene and reinforce security presence in the kingdom.
“About four armed men went to the house of one of our chiefs. They shot him and abducted two of his daughters. The Nigerian Police and other security agencies have been here since the incident occurred,” the monarch said.
“We need assistance in tackling security issues. The government should come to our aid. There had been relative calm in our land, but it appears the attackers have regrouped.”
He also expressed concern over what he described as rising attacks on farmlands by suspected herdsmen in the area.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Edo State Police Command, CSP Eno Ikoedem, confirmed the incident and disclosed that investigations were ongoing.
She added that the Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, was in Ekpoma, Edo Central, alongside other senior officers to assess the situation and prevent further attacks.
“I can confirm the incident. The Commissioner of Police and other top officers are currently in the area to forestall further attacks. The police have launched an investigation into the killing and abduction,” she said.
