A wave of fear has gripped the occupants of Uluoke community after a group of unknown gunmen killed a resident, Friday Pius, and abducted his pregnant wife and sister in Edo.
As learnt, the incident occurred in the early hours of the day after the gunmen invaded Pius’s residence in the Etsako West Local Government Area of the state, shooting the man to death while taking his heavily pregnant wife and sister hostage.
According to eyewitnesses, the assailants, after sending the man to his early grave, rendered his three children fatherless, as they were seen crying beside their father’s corpse.
The community was said to have turned into a graveyard when the incident was happening, as residents were scared to confront the attackers, leading the armed men to escape without a trace.
“When people finally came out after the gunfire stopped, the man was found in a pool of his own blood, and his wife and her sister had been taken away,” the eyewitness said.
Confirming this incident on Thursday, the state Police Command’s spokesperson, Moses Yamu, said police operatives have been deployed to the area.
According to him, the operatives are working with local vigilantes and hunters to rescue the kidnapped victims and apprehend the attackers.
“The Command is aware. Necessary deployments have been made in that regard. Our men have sustained bush combing and rescue operations with a view to rescuing the victims,” Yamu added.
Meanwhile, a source has disclosed that women from the affected community have taken to the streets in protest, demanding improved security and government intervention.
One of the protesters, who identified as just Rashidetu, said the protest was not just about the killing and kidnapping, but the general insecurity in the area.
“We can’t go to our farms anymore. Herdsmen have taken over, uprooting cassava to feed their cows and kidnapping or killing anyone who tries to stop them,” she said.
She urged security agencies to swiftly address the area’s growing insecurity, which has left residents fearful and deprived of their livelihoods.
