• Sunday, June 16, 2024
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BusinessDay

Gunmen abduct scores of Dangote Cement workers in Edo ambush

Gunmen on Monday attacked a convoy of Dangote Cement workers, abducted dozens of the employees, while leaving several injured in Edo State.

The incident occurred in the Okpella area of the state, where workers were ambushed in a bloody assault.

Eyewitnesses recounted the horrifying scene, described how the assailants opened fire on the convoy, causing chaos and panic among the workers.

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“Other people are in the bush. My colleague has bullet wounds. A coaster bus filled with staff was attacked at Okpella by Kidnappers,” one witness reported.

According to reports, the gunmen seized an entire staff bus, forcefully taking the workers captive. The exact number of kidnapped individuals and the extent of injuries sustained remain unclear, as of Monday evening.

Michael Odofin, the spokesperson for Okpella Cement Plc, confirmed the attack and the abduction of company employees.

While he refrained from providing specific details, Odofin assured that no fatalities had been reported. “I cannot give any details right now but our workers were attacked. The attack is still fresh. We have no one killed,” he stated.

Efforts to obtain further information from Chidi Nwabuzor, the Edo State Police Public Relations Officer, proved unsuccessful, as he was unavailable for comment at the time of reporting.

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Despite attempts to reach him via phone calls and text messages, Nwabuzor had yet to respond, leaving many questions surrounding the incident unanswered.