A popular nollywood actress, Bimpe Akintunde, has described how she escaped an attack by suspected bandits at Onigari along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Saturday evening. Thanking God for saving her life and that of her daughter who was with her in the car, Akintunde took to her Instagram page, to lament the state of insecurity in the country.
She said although she and her daughter were safe, she was still in shock to have experienced gunmen, according to her, numbering about 10, dressed in military uniform, shooting directly at all vehicles coming to Lagos from Ibadan.
Akintunde said after her narrow escape turning to take one-way, she warned other vehicles plying the road at that time of the danger ahead.
She wrote on Instagram, “Let’s be careful on Ibadan Express road, I escaped bandit attack at around after 5:00pm this evening after Oni-Garri on my way to Lagos.
“They were shooting at all of vehicles coming from Ibadan. They were like 10 in army uniform shooting directly at us.
“God saved me and my daughter…like they were shooting directly at us.
“Where are we going in this country? Broad daylight attack! God came through for us. I turned back, followed one way and alerted other drivers.”
Meanwhile, this comes barely a week after gunmen attacked a commercial bus along the same route.
Reports had it last week that some gunmen suspected to be of Fulani extraction, allegedly launched an attack on a commercial bus and abducted five passengers, including a woman at the Oni-Garri axis of the Lagos-Ibadan Highway.
The incident, which was said to have occurred two Saturdays ago, resulted in the death of the driver identified as Oluwatosin Aruwajoye.
One of the passengers, Ibrahim Tiamiyu, who was shot in the thigh, however, managed to escape.
The passengers reportedly boarded an eight-seater ash colour Toyota Sienna bus with registration number – MUS 493 HH from Ibadan, Oyo State, and were on their way to Lagos State when the kidnappers suddenly emerged from the bush at the Oni-Garri axis and shot sporadically at the vehicle.
It was gathered that the driver, sensed their presence and tried to manoeuvre his way through, but was immediately shot dead at a close range, while Tiamiyu was shot in the thigh.
On getting information about Tiamiyu, the brother of the injured victim reported the case at the Toll Gate Division of the Nigeria Police Force.
Police operatives from Oyo State Police Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Squad and the Toll Gate Police Division were said to have moved to the scene immediately they got the information and rushed the injured victim to the hospital for treatment.
The operatives subsequently combed the bush in a move to rescue victims and apprehend perpetrators, while the driver’s corpse was also deposited in the mortuary at Adeoyo State Hospital, Ring Road.
Meanwhile, the kidnappers have demanded N30million as ransom for the female victim.