One killed, scores injured as robbers invade Ibadan community

A middle aged night-guard was allegedly killed at Oju-irin, Akobo area of Ibadan on Saturday when robbers numbering about 15 invaded the area about 2 am.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Gbenga Fadeyi , a Superintendent of Police ( SP), confirmed that some night guards were attacked.

He however denied that a security officer was killed in the attack.

Fadeyi said: “They ran away before the arrival of the Police in the area. Efforts have been intensified to clamp down on these hoodlums that carried out the evil act.

“Information available to me has it that the night guards that were attacked sustained injury but rescued  by the Police to UCH and now responding to treatment. No guard was killed,” he said.

But landlords at Idi-isin and the leader of security guards in the area simply identified as Mr. Fagbenro insisted that a security guard was shot dead at Oju Irin on the arrival of the robbers at about 1 am before moving to other areas while some of his boys are on danger list at various hospitals.

It was gathered that among the people who were injured are a couple, 12 night guards working at Yawiri, Idi-isin, Tella, Anifalaje, Apata, Iyana Akanni and Oju-Irin where the robbers operated for several hours.

There were blood stains of the victim around the transformer in the area when our reporter visited the spot where the guards were maimed and macheted.

One of the executives of the landlord association in Idi-isin area, who doesn’t want his name in print for security reasons, said the robbers arrived the area in a Micra Nissan car at about 1am and raided houses at Yawiri area before proceeding to other areas of the community.

He confirmed that one night guard was killed around Oju-Irin while two security guards who were instructed to man a transformer at idi-isin were brutally matcheted for preventing the robbers from carting away electrical wires from  the transformer.

According to him, the residents alerted police officers on duty at Akobo police station when they noticed the arrival of the robbers but there was no response from the police until around 6am.

“It is true that the robbers killed one night guard at Oju Irin but here, they matcheted our night guard. I am also aware that a couple was matcheted at Yawiri up there and about 12 other night guards were also matcheted.

“Upon investigations, we heard they arrived this area around 2am in a Micra Nisan car and three motorcycles. Our night guards were just returning from patrol when they attacked them at the point of transformer. The guards  are in hospital recuperating now,” he said.

In a statement by the landlords association of the Idi- isin on Sunday tagged”security situation worrisome in Akobo Oju Irin and environ ” the concerned landlords said the spate of the attacks on the residents of the area is worrisome.

The statement reads: “For sometimes now, the residents of Akobo Ojuirin, Yawiri, Idi-isin and its environs have not been sleeping with their two eyes closed. Armed robbers have been attacking the residents on the daily basis, beating the people,  collecting money, phones, laptops, maiming and even killing the innocent people.

“In the early hour of Saturday, a young watch night man was sent to his early grave at Oju Irin by the heartless men of under world.

”Our people are now living in fear as we don’t know the next target of these evil minded people. It is very sad that police at the Akobo Police station who are suppose to respond to distress calls  at the hour of need in the night will arrive the scene hours after the robbers must have left.

“There is a need for government to have a second look at their approach on security for the people in these mentioned areas.”