According to a report by The Punch on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, the Nigerian Army on Tuesday confirmed the tragic deaths of a soldier, a local hunter, and four hostages following a failed attempt by heavily armed gunmen to abduct Chinese expatriates at a dredging site in Magbon, Mowe, within the Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The Assistant Director of Army Public Relations for the 35 Artillery Brigade, Major Idereghi Akari, explains that a joint security team consisting of soldiers and police officers was ambushed while responding to an emergency distress call at the operations site.
A fierce gun battle ensued, resulting in the death of one of the attackers. To escape the arriving reinforcement troops, the retreating criminals seized five hostages to use as human shields, moving through the thick forest toward the Ogun River.
Before fleeing the scene in a getaway boat, the gunmen killed four of the hostages. One captive managed to escape, later detailing how the gang members fled with the body of their neutralised accomplice.
Regrettably, one soldier lost his life during the intense gun duel, while another military officer and two police officers sustained severe gunshot wounds.
Updating the public, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, reveals that a local hunter supporting the rescue team also lost his life in an encounter with the fleeing gang.
Babaseyi clarified that security operatives successfully rescued one victim and recovered the remains of three other hostages.
Security authorities have firmly dismissed social media speculations linking the violence to banditry, declaring the encounter an isolated criminal operation.
Coordinated tactical pressure continues as security forces comb the creeks to apprehend the remaining suspects.