Gunmen on Friday kidnapped 25 choir members of the Christ Apostolic Church, CAC, in Oke-Igan, Akure, the Ondo State capital.
The victims were en route Ifon in Ose Local Government Area of the state to attend the burial ceremony of a parent of one of them.
According to sources in the church, the abduction has left the families and the church in distress.
One of the sources, who craved anonymity, added that the kidnapped choir members had embarked on the journey from Akure in a branded vehicle belonging to the church.
However, the vehicle was later discovered abandoned on the roadside in the Elegbeka community.
The Owo-Ifon-Benin road where the abduction occurred has gained notoriety as a hotbed of criminal activities, including kidnappings and armed robberies due to its bad state.
The Ondo State Police Command has assured the public of its commitment to ensuring the safe return of the victims.
It said the police were informed that a church bus with the inscription CAC was abandoned around the Elegbeka area, and there are suspicions that the passengers in the vehicle were kidnapped.
“The police anti-kidnapping squad and other tactical teams have been deployed to the area to rescue the victims and arrest all involved in the crime,” the spokesperson said.
