According to Nigerian Tribune, residents of Jobele, Oyo State, were thrown into panic in the early hours of Friday when armed intruders stormed the home of 29-year-old Olabiyisi Mobolaji Charles. In a shocking turn of events, the attackers attempted to abduct him after a dramatic break-in, prompting a swift response from local security forces.
The ordeal began at about 1:09 a.m. when Charles and his family were awakened by the frantic barking of their dogs. Looking outside, they saw armed men who had scaled their fence and were attempting to force their way into the house. The attackers, firing shots, tried to break through the front door.
In a desperate attempt to escape, Charles tried to open the front door but found it jammed. Realizing the danger, he quickly switched to the back door, where he managed to slip out undetected. His younger brother took refuge in the ceiling, hoping to avoid detection.
The assailants, failing to locate Charles initially, grabbed his wife, seemingly intent on taking her instead. In a courageous move, Charles surrendered himself to the attackers, pleading for his wife’s release. The intruders accepted the trade, instructing his wife to go back inside while they restrained Charles with a long, strong rope.
Fortunately, members of the community had already alerted the Amotekun Corps, a local security outfit known for tackling criminal activities in Oyo State. Within minutes, operatives arrived at the scene. However, instead of an immediate rescue, Charles experienced an unexpected event.
One of the operatives, upon arriving at the scene, ripped Charles’ T-shirt and gagged his mouth, warning him not to speak. The motive behind this action remains unclear, raising questions about the handling of the situation by security forces.
Despite the terrifying encounter, Charles was eventually freed, and the intruders abandoned their mission. While the presence of Amotekun operatives likely deterred the criminals from proceeding further, the actions of one officer toward Charles have sparked concerns.
According to Charles narration he said, “At about 1:09a.m. on Friday, our dogs started barking. We saw some people who scaled the fence to enter our house at Jobele. They started shooting and tried to break the door in. I tried to open the front door but it couldn’t open, so I decided to open the back door. When I noticed that they were not there, I ran away. My younger brother went to hide in the ceiling. But they decided to go with my wife so I decided to give myself in so that they would spare her.”
“They told my wife to return inside. They tightened my hands with a long, strong rope (showing it). People in the community immediately called Amotekun operatives and they responded promptly. Not more than two minutes after, I saw Amotekun operatives, but one of them gagged my mouth with my T-shirt which they ripped with a knife, telling me not to talk.”
