Two persons have been killed, while three others were abducted by gunmen believed to be herders in Ganmu village, near Babanla, Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, north central Nigeria.
It was gathered that the attack occurred when the victims, who were travelling from Lagos to Babanla, suffered a flat tire near the community.
According to an eye witness account, when victims were trying to fix the fault, five gunmen suddenly appeared, and opened fire on them, killing two persons instantly, and taking the survivors into the bush.
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The deceased were identified as Abdulrazak Ewenla, a native of Ajia village, and Jimoh Audu from Ganmu.
The three abducted individuals have been named as Kazeem Ajide, Wahidi, and Mufutau, although the surnames of the latter two have not yet been confirmed.
A combined team of operatives — featuring military personnel, and local vigilantes — has since been deployed to the scene, and they are presently combing the area and restore order.
Confirming the incident, Adetoun Ejire, spokespersons of the Kwara state police command, in a statement on Thursday, said the military and police operatives have intensified search for the abducted persons.
She, however, dismissed a viral video suggesting that residents had fled the village, creating the impression of a ghost town.
“Contrary to the misleading viral video, the area is not deserted. The security presence seen in the clip is a coordinated deployment to maintain public safety and aid the rescue effort,” the statement read in part.
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The Command said it had launched a full investigation into the incident, with efforts ongoing to rescue the kidnapped victims unharmed and bring the perpetrators to justice.
