Panic erupted at a school construction site in Ewekoro yesterday when three armed men jumped out of a parked Toyota Hilux and opened fire on a businessman, Emmanuel Adebayo, 32, shortly after he arrived to pay his crew.
Adebayo, who was based in Sagamu, was shot multiple times and died on the spot before help could reach him.
“It was terrifying,” said a construction worker who witnessed the attack and requested anonymity for safety reasons. “We heard the truck doors slam, and then gunfire broke out. Everyone ran, but two of the attackers chased Mr. Adebayo toward the gate and kept shooting until he fell.”
The worker, who was visibly shaken, added, “I had never seen a gun in real life before. I’ve been trembling since it happened.”
Witnesses said the attackers shouted extremist slogans as they fled, raising fears among residents that the killing may have been religiously motivated.
Community leaders expressed shock over the incident, noting that Ewekoro had remained relatively peaceful despite sporadic sectarian violence in other parts of the state.
Repeated calls by The Nation to the Ewekoro Divisional Police Headquarters were unanswered as of press time, and no statement had been released.
Police sources said an investigation is under way but offered no information on suspects or a possible motive.