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A Nigerian soldier and four hostages have been killed during an attempted kidnapping of Chinese expatriates in Magbon, Mowe, in Ogun State, the Army said on Tuesday.
Major Idereghi Akari, Assistant Director of Army Public Relations for the 35 Artillery Brigade in Alamala, Abeokuta, disclosed the incident in a statement.
The attack occurred on June 8, 2026, when a joint security team comprising soldiers and police officers responded to a distress call around a dredging site where expatriate workers were operating, Akari said.
The team was ambushed by armed men suspected to be kidnappers, leading to a fierce gun battle, according to Akari.
One of the attackers was neutralised during the exchange, Akari said.
The remaining assailants 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.
The kidnappers later killed four of the hostages before escaping through the river channel in a boat, Akari said.
Credit: Guardian Nigeria.
One hostage managed to escape and reported that the assailants took the body of their slain accomplice with them.
A soldier lost his life during the encounter, while another soldier and two police officers sustained gunshot injuries, Akari added.
“The four hostages were later killed by the fleeing attackers before they escaped through the river channel in a boat. One of the hostages who escaped narrated how the assailants took the body of their dead colleague along with them,” he said.
“Regrettably, a soldier lost his life during the encounter, while another soldier and two police officers sustained gunshot injuries.”
The deceased soldier and the recovered bodies of the hostages have been deposited at the mortuary of the General Hospital in Sagamu, he said.
The injured personnel are currently receiving medical attention.
DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, said four persons were abducted during the attack.
Police operatives, in collaboration with the military and other security stakeholders, immediately launched coordinated search-and-rescue operations, he said.
One abducted victim was rescued, while the remains of the other three victims were later recovered, Babaseyi added.
During the bush-combing exercise, a local hunter supporting the operation lost his life in an encounter with the fleeing criminals, the police spokesperson said.
“Sustained tactical pressure by the joint security team led to the neutralisation of one of the suspects, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend the remaining members of the gang,” Babaseyi said.
He described the incident as an “isolated criminal attack.”
Following the incident, the Quick Response Force and other security agencies have intensified patrols and surveillance in the area to restore calm and prevent further security breaches, the Army said.
