LAGOS, Nigeria – Eight employees of MRS Oil Nigeria Plc were abducted by armed gunmen on Monday, June 26, 2023, while traveling on the waterway in Lagos State, according to police officials.
The workers were returning home from work via boat around the Tin Can Island area, heading towards Apapa, when the assailants ambushed them.
A source within the police department, who spoke anonymously, stated that it is customary for the oil company’s staff to board a boat together to Apapa after work before dispersing to their respective destinations.
The gunmen are reported to have taken control of the boat carrying the oil workers and subsequently transferred them to another speedboat.
The boat used in the kidnapping was later discovered abandoned at a jetty in Ikorodu.
The Lagos State Police Command’s spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the abduction to journalists.
Hundeyin stated that the eight workers, believed to have been kidnapped, departed their office on June 26, 2023, at approximately 6 pm.
“The victims boarded a boat at a jetty on the island. They have not been seen since then,” Hundeyin said.
He also mentioned that the boat used in the kidnapping was found in the Ikorodu area, and a search operation is underway to apprehend the perpetrators.
“Meanwhile, the boat was found around Ikorodu and a manhunt has been launched for the suspected gunmen,” he added.
The incident has raised concerns over security along Lagos waterways, which is crucial for transportation and commerce in the bustling metropolis.
This kidnapping is the latest in a string of security incidents that have affected Nigeria’s oil sector, and it has raised further questions regarding the safety of workers and the need for bolstered security measures in the region.
Families of the abducted workers and the oil company are awaiting further information while authorities intensify their efforts to locate and rescue the victims.
Authorities have urged anyone with information regarding the incident to come forward to assist in the investigation and rescue efforts.
