Mowe, Ogun State – The Ogun State Police Command has officially refuted claims that bandits were responsible for the fatal attack on a soldier in the Mowe area, describing the incident as an isolated criminal encounter rather than an organized banditry operation.
The denial follows widespread public concern and social media reports suggesting that bandits had established a presence in the community after unknown gunmen shot and killed a military personnel on duty. The incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday along the busy Mowe-Ofada road, a corridor that has witnessed a spike in criminal activities in recent months.
According to eyewitnesses, the deceased soldier was attached to a routine security post when he was approached by a group of armed men. A brief altercation ensued before the assailants opened fire, fatally wounding the soldier before fleeing into nearby bushes.
The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Omolola Odutola, while confirming the incident in a statement issued on Thursday, clarified that there was no evidence linking the attack to the kind of large-scale banditry seen in northern Nigeria.
“The command is aware of the tragic killing of a military personnel in Mowe. However, we strongly distance the incident from the narrative of banditry making the rounds on social media,” Odutola said. “Preliminary investigations suggest this was the work of armed robbers or local hoodlums, not bandits operating in organized cells. There is no militant bandit camp in Mowe or its environs.”
Police sources indicate that the gunmen may have been attempting to rob a nearby commercial vehicle or intercept goods from a local warehouse when they were intercepted by the soldier. An exchange of fire reportedly left the soldier mortally wounded.
The killing has sparked outrage among residents, many of whom have called for increased security presence along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway axis. Mowe, a rapidly developing suburban town, has seen a rise in land-grabbing, cult clashes, and robberies, though it has largely been spared from the type of rural banditry common in the North-West and North-Central geopolitical zones.
In response to the incident, the Ogun Police Command has deployed additional patrol teams and plainclothes operatives to the area. The Commissioner of Police, CP Alamutu Abiodun Mustapha, has ordered a full-scale manhunt for the perpetrators and assured the public that normalcy has returned to Mowe.
“We commiserate with the Nigerian Army and the family of the fallen soldier. We are working closely with military authorities to track down those responsible. Citizens are urged to go about their lawful duties without fear, but to remain vigilant and report suspicious movements to security agencies,” Odutola added.
For more details and eyewitness accounts, check the comments section below.
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This is a developing story. Updates will be provided as more information becomes available from security sources.
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