Injured driver, commuter escape from gunmen in Ekiti

Gunmen on Boxing Day shot at a vehicle on Oke Ako-Ipao road in the Ajoni Local Council Area of Ekiti State.

While the passenger escaped unhurt as the car was driven to safety, the driver was unfortunate as he was hit by bullets on both legs.

A source at Oke Ako, who gave details of the incident, said, “The gunmen were eight according to the commuter who escaped being kidnapped on the day after Christmas.

“They shot at the vehicle, but thank God nobody was kidnapped, except that the driver was hit by bullets, he is still in hospital now.”

Another source at Ayedun Ekiti said, “The injured driver was with a passenger when the incident happened along Oke Ako-Ipao Road. The gunmen appeared from nowhere and shot at his vehicle with the aim of stopping them for kidnapping.

“But he did not stop, not knowing that the bullets had pierced the body of the car and hit his legs. It was when he stopped on getting to Ayedun that he realised blood on his legs and that he had been hit following which he was rushed to one hospital at Ikole Ekiti.

“It was in the course of treatment at the hospital that they discovered that bullets were lodged in his legs and he was consequently referred to another hospital in Ado Ekiti. We took him to Ado Ekiti today (Tuesday),” the source said.

However, the Chairman, Ajoni LCDA, Prince Michael Ogungbemi, who said it was not a kidnapping attempt, said, “They were roadside criminals who wanted to waylay commuters with a view to robbing them.

“Kidnappers don’t operate that way. I was at the spot with men of the Department of State Services and police to assess the situation and we could see it was not the operation of kidnappers.

“It was late before we got information and by the time we mobilised security network to the place, the criminals had left,” the council boss said.