Thirteen kidnap victims in Oke-Ero local government area of Kwara State have been rescued by the police.
Toun Ejire-Adeyemi, the spokesperson of the Kwara State Police Command, in a statement on Saturday, explained that policemen successfully rescued the kidnap victims following a distress call on December 21, 2024.
The statement said the victims were forcefully abducted by armed assailants on their way to a wedding programme in Kogi State, stressing that they were rescued in a joint operation involving the police and the Oke-Ero local government security initiative personnel.
Acting on credible intelligence and with the support of local informants, Ejire-Adeyemi stated that the security operatives swiftly mobilised to the suspects’ hideout located in the Idofin-Igbana area.
She said, “Upon sighting the security team, the kidnappers, six in number and some dressed to disguise in military uniforms, engaged the operatives in a gun battle but were overpowered by the superior firepower of the rescue team.
“The suspects fled the scene with various degrees of injuries, abandoning their captives in the process.”
The rescued victims, she added, included three females and 10 males from various locations, including Odo-Owa in Oke-Ero LGA, Ilorin, Ogbomoso in Oyo State and a group of trailer drivers en route Kogi State.
The PPRO explained that two victims sustained minor gunshot injuries. All the victims were immediately provided with medical care at a nearby hospital, stabilised, and subsequently reunited with their families.
The commissioner of Police, Kwara State Command, CP Victor Olaiya, commended the resilience and swift response of the operatives and expressed gratitude to the local communities for the timely provision of credible information.
He further assured the public of the Command’s commitment to sustaining the fight against criminality in all forms.
