BY TIMOTHY AGBOR
Workers at Craneburg Construction Company, Owo on Thursday revealed how gunmen attacked the firm and opened fire on them.
They said some yet to be apprehended bandits had stormed Oke-Ogun area, Folahanmi junction in Owo, where the road construction company is located at about 8:15pm and started shooting sporadically.
Speaking on Thursday morning, one of the security guards of the company who simply identified himself as Ayodele, said the workers living within a hostel in the premises had retired after the day’s work before the gunmen arrived.
According to Ayodele, the gunmen threw dynamite within the company while shooting at the buildings, construction machines, vehicles and other facilities within the place.
He said two of the security guards of the company who were sitting close to the gate were gunned down by the attackers adding that they had been taken to the Federal Medical Centre in Owo for medical attention.
Ayodele revealed how he hid inside toilet along other workers saying that many workers were already in their rooms when the gunmen stormed the company.
According to the eyewitness, ” My name is Ayodele, I am one of the Craneburg security guards. They came around 15 minutes after 8 yesterday (Wednesday) night and started shooting. As they were shooting at our buildings, vehicles and around, they threw dynamite which exploded with a loud bang.
“Myself and other workers were at security post inside the company gate. When we started hearing gunshots from outside of the gate, we ran inside a toilet and hid there. I suddenly heard someone screaming help. They shot for about thirty minutes. After they were gone, we heard someone screaming help me, help me.
“When we went outside to check, we discovered that one of my colleague security guards was hit at the hand and another hit on the leg at security post outside. The Amotekun people really tried when they later came. Later the Police Commissioner in Ondo came and later, the solider guiding us in the morning came. They picked bullets around. It was only two persons that were shot they had been taken to the Federal Medical Centre for treatment.
“There is no casualty but we don’t know what has happened to the people at the hospital. Such thing hasn’t happened in our company but some gunmen attacked Owo Church some weeks ago,” Ayodele narrated.
Another worker in the company who pleaded anonymity said the road around the company was deserted immediately the marauders started shooting adding that they were not confronted by any security operatives.
“Some of the traders and shop owners around our company ran away when they started hearing gunshots. It was after the gunmen finished their attack that security people started coming,” he said.
Residents of the town on Thursday morning besieged the company to witness the extent of the damage.
However, Ondo State Police Command had in a tweet via its official handle @OndoPoliceNg, confirmed the attack saying, “Tonight (Wednesday night), there was a shooting incident at CRANEBURG CONSTRUCTION COMPANY Owo, Policemen are currently at the scene, victims have been taken to Hospital and they are in stable condition.”
Recall that terrorists had in June attacked the St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, killing over 40 worshippers and injuring dozens of parishioners during a Sunday service.
This recent attack came after Governor Akeredolu had assured citizens that such would not happen again barely seven weeks after the gruesome massacre of about 41 worshippers of the Catholic Church.
