Gunmen Kill Man, Abduct Pregnant Wife, Sister-In-law
Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers invaded the home of a middle-aged man, Pius Friday, killed him, and abducted his pregnant wife and her sister in Uloke community, Uzairue, Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State.
According to eyewitnesses, the assailants stormed the residence around 1am on Monday while the victim and his family were asleep.
However, Pius was shot dead on the spot, while his wife and sister-in-law were dragged into the nearby bush by the attackers.
It reports that the gunmen left behind the couple’s three children, who were found crying in a pool of their father’s blood.
“People heard gunshots around the deceased’s house, but were scared to come out,” a local resident who requested anonymity told reporters.
“When we finally got there after the shooting stopped, we found him dead, lying in his own blood. The killers took his pregnant wife and her sister. No one knows where they are now.”
The Edo State Police Command confirmed the incident. Command spokesperson, CSP Moses Yamu, said the authorities are actively working to rescue the abducted victims.
“The Command is aware and necessary deployment have been made in that regard,” Yamu stated.
“Our men have sustained bush combing and rescue operations with a view to rescuing the victims.”
The brutal attack has created outrage and fear across the community, prompting dozens of women to take to the streets in protest. Chanting and holding placards, the women demanded urgent action from government and security agencies to curb the rising wave of violence in the area.
One of the protesters, a woman who identified herself simply as Rashidetu, appeared in a viral video lamenting the deteriorating security situation in Uloke.
“We are protesting not only the death of the young man and the kidnapping of his wife and her sister, but also the long absence of security in the Uluoke community,” she said.
According to Rashidetu, insecurity has forced many residents to abandon their farmlands. She claimed that herders have taken over farms in the area, destroying crops, kidnapping women, and killing anyone who resists.
“Our cassava is being uprooted to feed cows, and anyone who tries to stop them is attacked. We can no longer go to our farms. We are living in fear every day,” she cried.
The women called on the Edo State government, the Nigeria Police Force, and all relevant security agencies to come to their aid, warning that the situation is rapidly deteriorating.
