Security men, militants clash as deputy gov visits Ibafo

Samuel Awoyinfa, Abeokuta

The men of the Nigerian police and Nigerian Army on Monday engaged militants in a gun duel at Ebute-Ibafo in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.

This happened when the state Deputy Govenor, Mrs. Yetunde Onanuga, led some members of the state executive council and security chiefs to one of the operating points of the hoodlums at Ebute-Ibafo.

The gun battle lasted for over 20 minutes.

On the team were the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of operations in the state, Bello Makwashi, the state Director, Department of State Services, Kabiru Sanni, and the Brigade Commander, 35 Artillery Brigade, Alamala, Abeokuta, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Danwallis.

Some 500 metres from the point (Ebute-Ibafo), Onanuga and her team were advised not to proceed further, as there was fear the militants might launch an attack from the creeks.

While addressing journalists at this point, the Secretary to the State Government, Taiwo Adeoluwa, who was also on the tour, lamented the inability of the deputy governor and other members of the team to proceed further.

Some soldiers, riot policemen and Special Anti-Robbery Squad in the team however proceeded to  Ebute-Ibafo, which bordered the creeks, while the deputy governor and others waited for them.

But as the soldiers and the policemen approached Ebute-Ibafo, the militants fired some warning shots from their hideout. The security men immediately opened fire in their direction.

As the shots rang out, Adeoluwa said it was obvious that the police alone could not contain the militants and called on President Muhammadu Buhari to set up a military joint task force in the state.

Earlier in a meeting with Adeoluwa, some traditional rulers and village heads from the affected communities pleaded with the government to come to their rescue by increasing the number of security personnel in the affected communities.

Alhaji Azeez Ariyo from Imagbon recalled how nine landlords were killed by the militants last Thursday at Elepete and Igbo Olomu.

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