Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State — Armed men on Thursday morning attacked the residence of former Ijebu-Ode Local Government Chairman, Alhaji Emilola Gazal, carting away valuables, cash, and his vehicle.

Gazal, who is also the publisher of The Roots Magazine, confirmed the incident in a telephone interview.

“The three armed men broke into my residence at Ijebu-Ode GRA at about 2 a.m. They collected all the cash with me after which they forced me to open my bank apps on my phone and transfer everything there to an account they provided. They left only ₦5,000 in my account,” he said.

He added that the gang also stole his wife’s trinkets and an ash-coloured car. “They actually told me they would be going away with my car. I am just going to report the incident to the police at Igbeba and Obalende, Ijebu-Ode,” he stated.

The incident comes amid a series of violent robberies and home invasions across Ogun State, particularly in the Ijebu axis.

Earlier this year, the Ogun State Police Command killed a suspected armed robber in a gun duel along the Sagamu–Ijebu Ode Expressway. On September 12, the command also arrested a suspect linked to a burglary and armed robbery in Ayetoro, valued at about ₦1.5 million in stolen goods.

The Amotekun Corps, the regional security network, has also engaged armed gangs in border areas of the state, neutralising suspects in past operations.

Police authorities are yet to issue an official statement on Thursday’s incident.