IJEBU-ODE – In a brazen pre-dawn attack, a trio of armed gunmen on Thursday invaded the residence of a former Chairman of Ijebu-Ode Local Government, Alhaji Emilola Gazal, carting away a significant amount of cash, valuables, and his vehicle.
The incident, which occurred at approximately 2:00 a.m. at the publisher’s home in the Ijebu-Ode Government Reserved Area (GRA), was confirmed by the victim in a tense telephone interview.
According to Alhaji Gazal, who also publishes The Roots Magazine, the assailants breached his home and seized all the physical cash on the premises. The robbery escalated digitally, as the armed men forced him to unlock his banking applications and transfer all his funds to an account they provided.
“They left only N5,000 in my account,” Gazal stated.
The thieves also made off with his wife’s jewelry and his ash-coloured car, which they reportedly informed him they would be taking. The former chairman confirmed he is en route to report the extensive crime to police authorities at both the Igbeba and Obalende divisions in Ijebu-Ode.
This home invasion adds to a growing wave of violent robberies and home invasions plaguing Ogun State, with the Ijebu area appearing particularly targeted.
The Ogun State Police Command has recently intensified operations against such criminality. In a notable incident earlier this year, police gunned down a suspected armed robber in a shootout along the Sagamu-Ijebu Ode Expressway. More recently, on September 12, an individual connected to a N1.5 million burglary and armed robbery in Ayetoro was apprehended.
Furthermore, the regional Amotekun Corps has been actively engaged in confrontations with criminal gangs, neutralizing suspects in the state’s border zones.
Authorities have yet to release an official statement on this latest high-profile robbery. More details are expected as the investigation unfolds.
