The Nigerian Army on Tuesday confirmed the killing of a soldier and four hostages during an attempted abduction of Chinese expatriates in Magbon, Mowe, in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 35 Artillery Brigade, Alamala, Abeokuta, Major Idereghi Akari, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists.
Akari said one of the suspected kidnappers was killed during the failed operation, while another soldier and two police officers sustained gunshot injuries.
He explained that a joint security team comprising soldiers and police officers was responding to a distress call when it was ambushed by armed men suspected to be kidnappers around a dredging site where expatriate workers were operating.
The Army spokesman said the ambush led to a fierce gun battle, during which one of the attackers was neutralised. The kidnappers subsequently retreated towards the Ogun River through the surrounding forest, taking five hostages as human shields to evade pursuit by a Quick Response Force deployed as reinforcement.
Akari said the kidnappers later killed four of the hostages before escaping through the river channel in a boat. One of the hostages managed to escape and reported that the assailants took away the body of their slain accomplice.
The statement partly read, “Troops of 35 Artillery Brigade, in conjunction with personnel of the Nigerian Police Force on joint patrol duty, have foiled a kidnapping attempt targeting Chinese expatriates at Magbon Village in the Mowe area of Obafemi Owode Local Government Area, Ogun State.
“The incident occurred on June 8, 2026, when the joint security team was ambushed by armed men suspected to be kidnappers while responding to a distress call around a dredging site where 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 the surrounding forest towards the Ogun River, taking five hostages as human shields to evade pursuit by a Quick Response Force deployed as reinforcement.
