Police rescue 12 abducted passengers in Ondo

The Ondo State Police Command said it has rescued 12 persons abducted by kidnappers in Isua Akoko, headquarters of Akoko South-East Local Government Area of the state.

The command’s spokesperson, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.

According to him, the victims were kidnapped in the early hours of Saturday after two commercial buses travelling from Benue State to Ibadan were intercepted by armed men.

He said, “The command received a distress report at about 0130hrs that two commercial Hummer buses conveying passengers from Benue State en route Ibadan had been violently intercepted by suspected armed kidnappers. The attackers reportedly forced several passengers out of the vehicles and marched them into a nearby forest.

“Following the report, the police immediately activated a coordinated rescue operation as operatives of the command, alongside local hunters and other security stakeholders, were swiftly mobilised to the scene with the primary objective of rescuing the victims and apprehending the perpetrators.

“Upon arrival, the combined rescue team commenced an intensive bush-combing operation across the surrounding forests and difficult terrains where the victims were believed to have been taken, while intelligence-led surveillance and strategic tracking efforts were simultaneously intensified to trail the fleeing suspects and facilitate the safe rescue of the remaining victims.

“The sustained pressure mounted by the combined security team yielded significant success as 12 kidnapped victims, including the drivers of the affected buses, were successfully rescued alive.”

The police spokesman added that the rescued victims had been taken to hospital for medical attention and support.

He said efforts were ongoing to rescue the remaining victims and arrest those responsible for the attack.

Jimoh also stated that the Commissioner of Police, Felix Ohagwu, visited the scene and met with community leaders, vigilante groups and other stakeholders.

He added that additional tactical and intelligence assets had been deployed to the area to support ongoing rescue and manhunt operations.