7th May, 2024
By Jethro Ibileke
Unknown gunmen have reportedly shot and killed three staff members of Okomu Oil Palm Company PLC.
It was gathered that the victims met their untimely death on Monday while working on the company’s plantation.
The Public Relations officer of the company, Fidelis Olise, who confirmed this to journalists on Tuesday, said that the killers were yet to be identified.
Olise, who noted that the company enjoys a cordial relationship with the communities in the area, however could not confirm whether members of the communities were involved in the attack.
He said that the incident has been reported to the police and investigation is already ongoing.
“I can confirm to you that three of our staff were killed by gunmen on Monday while they were working on our plantation.
“We enjoy cordial a relationship with the communities around us and we cannot say whether members of the communities were involved.
“However, the matter has been reported to the police and we hope justice will be done,” he said.
Meanwhile, the State Commissioner of Police, CP Funsho Adegboye, has said that more men have been deployed by the state command to the area to forestall a repeat of the attack.
Adegboye who expressed shock that the gunmen could carry out such an attack, said that the attackers were from a neighbouring state.
He, however, disclosed that efforts were on to arrest the culprits and bring them to book.
The CP said: “Preliminary findings showed that the gunmen came from the creek in a neighbouring state, which I would not like to mention. Its attack is shocking.
“However, more men have been deployed to the area to forestall a repeat, while the police in conjunction with Okomu is working to ensure that the culprits are arrested.
“We will not allow such an occurrence to happen in the state again,” the CP added.