IBADAN, Nigeria — Gunmen stormed the Aqua Triton Company facility in Ogunmakin, near Ibadan, on Saturday, killing a police officer and abducting a foreign worker, according to the Oyo State Police Command.
Police spokesperson DSP Ayanlade Olayinka said the assailants carried out what he described as a “commando-style” assault, forcing an exchange of gunfire with security personnel on duty. During the confrontation, one officer was shot dead while attempting to repel the attackers, Olayinka said, adding that some of the gunmen were believed to have fled with gunshot wounds.
“The Chinese expatriate principal was abducted,” Olayinka said in the statement, noting that the attackers escaped into surrounding bushland after the shooting.
However, there has been some uncertainty in public reporting about the abducted worker’s nationality and identity. While police and several Nigerian outlets described the victim as Chinese, other reporting identified the abducted expatriate as Indian and said the incident occurred on Friday, January 16, during daylight hours. Authorities have not publicly reconciled the discrepancy.
Following the attack, Commissioner of Police Femi Haruna directed the Assistant Commissioner in charge of operations to deploy anti-kidnapping and tactical units to the area, the police spokesperson said. Search teams have commenced “intensive bush-combing” operations as investigators work to locate the abducted expatriate and track the fleeing suspects.
The incident adds to mounting security concerns in parts of Oyo and neighbouring states, where kidnappings and armed attacks on farms, highways and work sites have prompted repeated calls for stronger protection of rural communities and industrial facilities.
Police said rescue and manhunt efforts are ongoing and appealed for credible public information that could assist the operation, while promising updates as the investigation develops.
