The Kwara State Police Command has confirmed the abduction of 13 people including seven Wedding guests, in two Kidnapping incidents that occurred between Kwara and Ekiti States axis on Saturday evening.
The PUNCH reports that a Pastor and his wife were also amongst the 13 victims during the incident confirmed Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Ajayi Okasanmi.
According to the PPRO, the seven guests were returning to Ilorin from a wedding ceremony in Ekiti state in a Sienna bus and were accosted by Kidnappers at a point between Oke-Onigbin and Omu-Aran in Irepodun Local Government Area of the state around 5.35pm.
The second incident happened between Ekan-Meje in Oke-Ero Local Government Area of Kwara State and Ekiti State which involved a Pastor and his wife as well as four other people also on Saturday.
However, in the press statement released on Sunday night, Okasanmi revealed that eight victims of the two incidents were rescued.
He added that four of the seven abducted wedding guests were rescued by the joint security men while the Pastor and his wife were yet to be rescued in the second incident.
The statement said, “Reports of two kidnap incidents were received simultaneously by the Kwara State Police Command on Saturday 07/08/2021 at about 1735hrs to the effect that, along Okeonigbin/Omuaran highway and Ekiti / Ekan Meje axis that six armed men emerged from the bush and stopped a Siena bus in transit from Ekiti state on its way to Ilorin and the seven occupants of the vehicle were marched into the bush.
“The Command promptly dispatched its tactical units comprising the Anti kidnapping and Anti cultists units, joined by local hunters and vigilantes members while police patrols on the routes were alerted.
“The abductors were instantly chased into the bushes, four out of the seven abducted persons were rescued, efforts are still in top gear to get the remaining three rescued.
“Deploying similar tactics by operatives, those abducted in Ekanmeje /Ekiti axis using the same modus were equally rescued, remaining a pastor and his wife who the Command is frantically doing everything possible to rescue unhurt”, he said.
Okasanmi said that “some suspects have been arrested and are helping the command in her investigation adding the situation is under control.”
The PPRO advised the people of Kwara State to go about their lawful businesses without any fear of molestation and attack assuring that Patrols of all the routes in the state have been intensified.
He appealed to the people of the state to report any suspected activities within their immediate environment to the police without delay.
