No fewer than 20 travellers along the Sagamu-Ijebu-Ode Expressway were reportedly abducted by some gunmen at about 8 pm on Sunday while one of the victims was shot in the knee.

The gunmen were said to have ambushed the travellers between Sagamu Area Command of the Nigeria Police and Ilisan township.

The Chairman of Ilisan Development Council, Wemmy Osude, confirmed this to the journalists.

Osude said one of the victims of the attack who is a resident of Ilisan Remo was already receiving medical attention at the Babcock University Teaching Hospital.

He said, “Information reaching me right now confirmed a kidnapping incident between the Area Command and Ilisan City Gate (formerly Delabo).

“A resident of Ilisan (name unconfirmed) was reportedly shot in the knee and is receiving medical attention at Babcock Teaching Hospital.

“Other victims were taken into the bush. While waiting for additional information, please contact your loved ones who may be plying that road at about this time to be cautious.”

Osude said that he had spoken to the resident of the town who was being treated at Babcock University Teaching Hospital and he was said to be in stable condition.

He added, “I have spoken to the Sagamu Area Commander about this incident, and hopefully, we trust that all the security agents will go after these criminals and rescue these people.”

This incident was preceded by the recent abduction of two others and the murder of Prof Yinka Olomojobi of Babcock University, Ilisan Remo, at the Ajadeh Event Centre, along Iperu-Sagamu Road, Iperu Remo, in the Ikenne Local Government area.

Olomojobi was a professor of human rights and gender law.

Efforts to get the reaction of the spokesperson for Ogun State Police Command, SP Omolola Odutola, were unsuccessful as calls put across to her line did not connect.

Confirming the abduction in a statement on Monday, the state Police Command, SP Omolola Odutola, said the kidnappers trailed a man to a rough patch of the road and blocked the victim’s vehicle before forcing him into their van.

Odutola said, “A group of armed individuals, without definite number, in their unregistered Venza Toyota car, trailed a man in his Toyota RAV4 Jeep, grey colour with license plate number – Lagos – AGL-16-JE, to a rough patch of the road, and blocked the victim’s vehicle.

“The criminals fired four rounds of ammunition believed to be from an AK-47 into the driver’s back tyre and another shot into the front tyre. Immediately, the hoodlums alighted from their vehicle and forced the driver of the Toyota Rav 4 into their waiting Venza Jeep, and sped off towards Ijebu-Ode.

“During the incident, the hoodlums also shot at the driver of a Toyota Camry car, black colour, with license plate number – Lagos – AAA-04-JB, inflicting injury on his left leg as he attempted a U-turn. Additionally, a bus driver travelling from Abuja to Lagos in the Ilisan area was stopped by criminals who smashed his bus’s windshield and took his mobile phone after warning him to be cautious as he was not their target.”

The police boss stated that the “injured driver has been promptly taken to Babcock University Teaching Hospital in Ilisan for treatment and is currently responding to treatment.”

She added that there was no casualty during the incident, noting that two vehicles were damaged.

“No lives were lost but the two vehicles damaged by the fleeing suspects have been towed to the station.”

She said the Commissioner of Police has been briefed and has detailed the Anti Kidnapping unit to take up the investigation.

END.