The Oyo State Police Command said assailants stormed the company premises and were engaged by security personnel on duty.

Gunmen have attacked a company located at Ogunmakin, near Ibadan, killing a police officer and abducting an Indian expatriate in the attack.

The attack on Aqua Triton Company in Oyo State was described as a coordinated, commando-style operation on the facility.

Confirming the attack on Saturday, the Oyo State Police Command said assailants stormed the company premises and were engaged by security personnel on duty.

According to the Command’s spokesman, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, the abducted foreign national is from India and not Chinese as earlier indicated.

“There was an attack at Aqua Triton Company in Ogunmakin, near Ibadan, Oyo State, where yet to be identified gunmen stormed the facility in a commando-style operation,” he stated.

Olayinka explained that one police officer lost his life while repelling the attackers, adding that some of the gunmen were injured during the exchange before they escaped with the expatriate.

“One police officer tragically died while repelling the attack, injuring some of the assailants, and the Indian expatriate principal was abducted,” the police spokesperson stated.

Following the incident, the Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, Femi Haruna, had ordered a swift response.

“Immediately informed, the Commissioner of Police directed the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations to lead the Anti-Kidnapping Squad and other tactical teams to the scene,” Olayinka said.

He added that security operatives have commenced an intensive bush-combing operation across the area and its surroundings, as efforts continue to rescue the abducted expatriate.

According to him, a full-scale investigation has also been launched to unravel the circumstances surrounding the attack and track down those responsible.

“A bush-combing operation is ongoing, and a full investigation has been launched to ensure the safe rescue of the victim and the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators,” the PPRO said.

The police assured residents and workers in the area that measures have been put in place to restore calm and strengthen security, while urging members of the public to provide useful information that could aid the ongoing investigation.