On Friday night, suspected herdsmen waylaid travellers returning from a function in Ekiti, shot dead the driver of the vehicle and abducted at least two occupants.

Police confirmed the attack on Saturday.

Police spokesman in Ekiti, ASP Sunday Abutu, said the gunmen shot the driver of the vehicle, a LEXUS 330 SUV, dead and took the two other occupants of the vehicle away.

The attack took place between Ewu-Ekiti and Aiyetoro-Ekiti, neighbouring communities in Ilejemeje and Ido/Osi Local Government Areas of Ekiti State.

ASP Abutu told NAN that police, in conjunction with local hunters and operatives of Amotekun Corps, were already combing the forest around the area to rescue the victims and arrest the gunmen.

Witnesses, however, told NAN that there were five occupants in the vehicle and they were attacked by suspected herdsmen while returning from a social function in the area.

The witnesses also confirmed that the driver was shot dead and the other occupants of the vehicle were abducted.

The vehicle, with registration number LAGOS KRD 264 GV, was left at the scene facing the bush with only the dead inside it.

The identities of the victims had not been ascertained at the time of filing this report.

Friday’s incident occurred four days after gunmen also suspected to be herdsmen shot and killed a man named Ademola Afolayan on a poultry farm in Ikere-Ekiti on Monday, August 2 at about 5:00 p.m.

NAN sources said the gunmen, numbering about five, invaded the poultry farm located at Eselemo Farm, Igbo-Oka area close to Akure Road, shooting sporadically and in the process, killed Mr Afolayan.

Two persons were said to have narrowly escaped the Monday incident.

Also former Ekiti State Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Clement Adekola, escaped death by the whiskers when his vehicle was attacked on Tuesday, August 3, also at about 5:00 p.m.

The gunmen opened fire on Adekola’s vehicle as he was traveling along Ikere-Igbara Odo Road, in Ikere Local Government Area of Ekiti State.

Recently, kidnappers allegedly abducted some travellers in three commercial buses on Akure/Ikere-Ado Ekiti road in Ekiti State.

It was gathered that the kidnappers swooped on the travellers’ vehicles while navigating through the bad portions of the road.

NAN gathered that one of the drivers narrowly escaped the incident that took place between Iju community in Ondo State and Ikere-Ekiti in Ekiti State.

A witness said that the vehicles were left in the middle of the road, a situation which attracted members of the public who raised the alarm. 

(NAN)