How Gunmen Stormed Lagos Palace, Kidnapped Oba And Shot His Wife

A traditional ruler in Lagos, Oba Yushau Gorilla Oseni, the Oniba of Ibaland, alongside a woman, her three-month-old baby, and a businessman have been abducted by unknown gunmen who stormed his palace killing his guard and shot his wife.

Punch reports that on Saturday at around 10.30pm, the unknown gunmen, who were suspected to be militants stormed the community in two speedboats.

Palace source said the gunmen killed the king’s guard and then shot his wife, Kuburat, who sustained gunshot injuries, before escaping with him.

Ifayemi Yomi, a resident, explained that the gunmen announced their presence with sporadic gunshots which made everyone run for safety.

“The gunmen came in at about 10pm, shooting indiscriminately. They had earlier gone to the Agbede area of Ikorodu, and tried to abduct some oil dealers but they failed. They then made their way to Iba through the waterways.

“They went to the palace and dragged the traditional ruler out. The residents tried to prevent their entry into the palace and one of them, who worked with the Neighbourhood Watch, was shot dead. A motorcycle rider was also killed,” he said.

According to another resident identified only as Muyiwa, people in the area had started leaving in droves.

“My wife and I initially thought vigilantes were at work, but with the persistence of the shooting, we sensed the community was under attack.

“The gunshots woke up my two children. For one hour, I was confused. My wife, the children and I held on to one another. It was this morning (Sunday) that I heard that the king was abducted by militants. They killed his guard and shot his wife in the leg, he stated.

A source explained that the community had become volatile due to the operations of the militants, calling on the Lagos State Government and security agencies to rise up to the challenge.

He said: “It seems the militants are becoming too powerful for the government. If measures are not taken to check their excesses, they will take over all the riverine areas in Lagos and Ogun states.

Another reliable source said the incident happened on Victory Estate in the Iba area.

“The gunmen came into the estate around 9pm on Friday and abducted the woman and her three months old baby.

“They demanded N30m for their release. Around 11.30pm of the same day, a businessman, Mr Christian, was kidnapped and his family was requested to pay N30m. Someone offered them N3m for his release, but they refused.”

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the kidnap of the monarch.

She said the command was working with the Ogun State Police Command to rescue the victim and arrest the suspects.

Photo credit: Punch