By Deborah Nnamdi
Gunmen have attacked Aqua Triton Company in Ogunmakin, near Ibadan, Oyo State, killing a police officer and abducting an Indian expatriate in what the police described as a coordinated, commando-style operation.
Confirming the incident on Saturday, the Oyo State Police Command said the assailants stormed the company premises and were engaged by security personnel on duty.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, clarified that the abducted foreign national is an Indian expatriate and not Chinese, as earlier reported.
“There was an attack at Aqua Triton Company in Ogunmakin, near Ibadan, Oyo State, where yet-to-be-identified gunmen stormed the facility in a commando-style operation,” Olayinka said.
He explained that one police officer lost his life while repelling the attackers, adding that some of the assailants were injured during the exchange before they escaped with the expatriate.
“One police officer tragically died while repelling the attack, injuring some of the assailants, and the Indian expatriate principal was abducted,” the police spokesperson stated.
Following the attack, the Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, Femi Haruna, ordered an
immediate response. According to Olayinka, the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations was directed to lead the Anti-Kidnapping Squad and other tactical teams to the scene.
He added that security operatives have commenced intensive bush-combing operations across the area and its environs as efforts continue to rescue the abducted expatriate.
Olayinka said a full-scale investigation has also been launched to unravel the circumstances surrounding the attack and track down those responsible.
“A bush-combing operation is ongoing, and a full investigation has been launched to ensure the safe rescue of the victim and the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators,” he said.
The police assured residents and workers in the area that measures have been put in place to restore calm and strengthen security, while urging members of the public to provide useful information that could aid the ongoing investigation.
