Nigerian Army Reports Casualties in Foiled Kidnapping Attempt
The Nigerian Army confirmed on Tuesday that one soldier and four hostages were killed during an attempted abduction of a Chinese expatriate in Magbon, located in the Mowe area of Obafemi Owode Local Government Area, Ogun State.
Major Ideregi Akari, the Deputy Director General of Army Public Relations at the 35 Artillery Brigade in Abeokuta, provided details of the incident in a statement shared with the media. He reported that one of the suspected kidnappers was killed during the exchange of fire, while another soldier and two police officers suffered injuries.
In his account, Akari explained that a joint security team comprising military and police forces was ambushed by an armed group believed to be kidnappers while responding to a distress call near a dredging site where several expatriates were employed.
According to an army spokesperson, the ambush escalated into a fierce gunfight, resulting in the neutralization of one assailant. However, the kidnappers retreated through the nearby forest toward the Ogun River, using the five hostages as human shields to thwart pursuit.
Tragically, the kidnappers later killed four of the hostages before fleeing the scene by boat. One surviving hostage managed to escape and reported that the assailants took the body of one of their deceased colleagues with them.
An excerpt from the army’s statement indicated that troops from the 35 Artillery Brigade worked in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force to thwart the kidnapping attempt in Magbon village. The attack took place on June 8, 2026, when the security team was ambushed. The confrontation led to one attacker being killed, but others escaped with the hostages.
In an update regarding the incident, DSP Olusei Babaseyi, spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, revealed that four individuals were initially abducted during the attack. Police teams immediately initiated a coordinated search and rescue operation in conjunction with military personnel.
One of the abductees was successfully rescued, but the bodies of the remaining three hostages were later recovered. During subsequent operations, a local hunter assisting the police lost his life during an encounter with the fleeing criminals. The police expressed their condolences to the family of the deceased.
The joint security team continued to apply tactical pressure, resulting in the neutralization of one suspect. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the remaining gang members. Authorities emphasized that this incident remains an isolated incident of criminal activity.
