Ogun: Man in coma after suspected land grabbers’ attack

Ogun: Man in coma after suspected land grabbers’ attack

A middle-age man, Emmanuel Oyeniyi, is said to be in coma after suspected land grabbers attacked him at the Ipetu Baba Ode, Idiroko area of Ogun State. The victim, it was learnt has been in coma since he was allegedly shot on the abdomen. Several others were said to have sustained injuries over the weekend when the gunmen numbering over 60 allegedly invaded the community and attacked everyone on sight. 

The residents appealed to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun and the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abodun to save them from incessant attack from the notorious land grabber who always invaded the town over land. 

According to a witness, identified simply as Bayo, since the incident Oyeniyi had been unconscious and being on life support machine after the attacked. He said the attack on the community occurred less than two months after the police at the force headquarters had thoroughly investigated the crisis in the town.

The land grabbers were said to have signed an undertaking at the force headquarters in Abuja not to have anything to do with the community again, but they unfortunately came back. 

A source at Onipanu Police Station, who pleaded anonymity, while speaking with our correspondent confirmed the attack on the village. The police source however said, “This is not the first or second time that they are attacking the village with heavy arms.” 

One of the victims of the latest attack, Bamidele Abiodun narrated, “We were in the village in the night between Thursday and Friday, when we started hearing gunshots everywhere in the com- munity. “The gunshots were heavy. We all thought that war had started and we ran into different directions to protect ourselves from being hit by stray bullets from the land grabbers.

“When I ran out, I saw one Elijah, the leader of the team giving the gunmen directives. I tried to escape. Something hit me but I kept running. It was after they had gone that I realised that I had been shot.” The victim added that many people were shot and the gunmen were just shooting continuously. That they were armed with AK 47 and that many people are presently missing. When contacted, The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Omolola Odutola’s phone line was unavailable as at the time of filing this story.