Five People Killed in Gunmen Attack at Ogun Dredging Site

James Sowole in Abeokuta

Five people, including a soldier and four hostages, were reported killed when gunmen attacked a dredging site in Magbon Village, Mowe area of Obafemi-Owode Local Government, Ogun State.

Gunmen suspected of being kidnappers reportedly stormed the dredging site, known locally as Capo, in the early hours of Monday.

Eyewitnesses said that one military personnel, who was protecting the workers, was killed while another was wounded by gunfire.

During the bush‑combing exercise, a local hunter who was assisting the operation also died in an encounter with the fleeing criminals.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Assistant Director Army Public Relations 35 Artillery Brigade, Abeokuta, Idereghi Akari, confirmed the incident and said that troops and Nigerian Police responded to a distress call at the dredging site where expatriate workers were operating.

Akari said a fierce exchange of fire followed, during which one attacker was neutralised and the remaining assailants reportedly abandoned their mission, withdrawing through the surrounding forest toward the Ogun River.

According to the statement, the kidnappers took five hostages as human shields to avoid pursuit by a Quick Response Force that had been deployed as reinforcement.

He disclosed that four hostages were killed by the fleeing attackers before they escaped through the river channel in a boat, and one hostage who survived recounted that the assailants took the body of their dead colleague with them.

He said, “The incident occurred on Monday, June 8, 2026, when the joint security patrol was ambushed by armed men suspected to be kidnappers while responding to a distress call at a dredging site where the expatriate workers were engaged in operations.”

“A fierce exchange of fire ensued, during which one of the attackers was neutralised. The remaining assailants reportedly abandoned their mission and withdrew through surrounding forest terrain towards the Ogun River, taking five hostages as human shields to evade pursuit by a Quick Response Force deployed as reinforcement.”

“The four hostages were later killed by the fleeing attackers before they escaped through the river channel with a boat.”

The army also confirmed that a soldier lost his life during the encounter, while another soldier and two police officers were wounded.

He added that the deceased soldier and the recovered bodies of the four victims have been taken to the mortuary of the General Hospital in Sagamu, and the injured personnel are currently receiving medical care.

“Following the incident, the Quick Response Force and other security agencies have intensified patrols and surveillance in the area to restore calm and prevent further security breaches,” the statement added.

Akari reiterated the military’s commitment to protecting lives and property, assuring residents that operations in the Mowe axis would continue until the fleeing assailants are apprehended.