THE Arepo community in Ogun State, southwest Nigeria, has urged residents to remain vigilant and prioritise security.
The Community Development Committee (CDC) of the area stated this in reaction to the abduction of the wife of a retired Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, from her residence in the Arepo community.
Odumosu was abducted on Friday, January 17, by heavily armed men who stormed her home, firing guns randomly.
According to a media report, the community in a circular released on Saturday, January 18, warned residents to be on high alert and report any suspicious activity to help prevent more security incidents.
The committee said authorities, including police from nearby areas and soldiers, are working together to rescue the kidnapped woman.
As a result, the CDC advised members of the community to be extra cautious and strengthen their security measures.
They also encouraged them to position their security personnel in strategic locations to prevent any potential security breaches.
It was widely reported on Friday that gunmen suspected to be kidnappers abducted the wife of Odumosu from her residence in the Arepo area of Ogun State.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Ogun State Police Command, Omolola Odutola, said the police command reacted swiftly to the abduction by deploying operatives to secure her release.
She said reports indicate that she was about to enter her home when four masked men attacked her, dragged her from her Lexus Jeep, and took her through swampy areas to an unknown location.
She added that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) has led a team of police officers to the scene, where they were searching the swampy bush area.
The Ogun police spokesperson said the DPO had also contacted the heads of the Warewa and Maaba communities to deploy local security forces to the riverine area.
The ICIR reports that the victim’s husband, Odumosu, is a retired assistant inspector general who served in the force for 32 years.
He was the commander of the Lagos anti-crime Rapid Response Squad and the special environmental unit of the Lagos police.
He later served as the Lagos State commissioner of police and retired from the force in 2022 following his attainment of the rank of AIG.
A reporter with the ICIR
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