The Ondo State Police Command has ordered the deployment of its men from special squads to the Akunnu Akoko area in a bid to rescue passengers who were abducted by armed bandits.
The victims, traveling to Abuja and en route to Ondo State, were reportedly kidnapped by bandits over the weekend on a lone road in Akunu Akoko and Iyere, border villages with Kogi State.
The attackers targeted a bus with the GUO Motors logo, and the driver was shot dead during the assault.
A young girl, suspected to be the daughter of one of the abducted passengers, was left behind by the kidnappers.
Despite the swift response of a combined team comprising police, soldiers, and hunters, who arrived at the scene and initiated a search in the surrounding bushes, the kidnappers remain at large.
In a statement on Sunday, Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, assured the public that personnel from various tactical units, led by the Special Anti-Kidnapping Squad, have been briefed and deployed to the area for the rescue of victims and the possible arrest of suspects.
“The command has, however, enjoined the people of the state and the general motoring public not to panic, insisting the incident was an isolated case which does not determine the security status of the state,” she said.
Additionally, the Amotekun Corps has deployed its personnel to join in the efforts to rescue the abducted passengers, providing additional support to the security operations in the region.
