July 05, (THEWILL) – Police operatives in Edo State on Sunday rescued nine kidnapped victims in the state.
The victims were abducted while travelling from Auchi to Benin in a white 14-seater Toyota Hiace bus on Sunday morning.
The spokesman of the state police command, Kontongs Bello, who disclosed this in a statement in Benin, said the police acted on credible information from members of the public to rescue the abducted commuters.
The statement read: “Today 4/7/2021 (Sunday) at about 07:35hrs, acting on credible information from members of the public that a 14- seater Toyota Hiace bus, white in colour, with registration number XA 525 KRF driven by one Karimu Momoh aged 40 years belonging to a private company heading from Auchi to Benin was intercepted by a group of hoodlums suspected to be kidnappers at Igieduma Village along Benin-Auchi Road.
“On receipt of the information, the DPO Ehor Division, CSP Benafa Benjamin, immediately swung into action, mobilizing his team of police operatives from the division and other sister agencies and vigilante groups for immediate bush combing. They later moved into the Igieduma forest reserve.
“The suspected kidnappers on sighting the police and other team members opened fire. The superior firepower of the police operatives made the suspected kidnappers abandon the victims and escape with bullet wounds.
“Meanwhile, nine kidnapped victims, three males, six females, were rescued unhurt. Police operatives are still combing the bush for possible arrest of the suspected kidnappers.”
The state Police boss, CP Philip Aliyu Ogbadu, has called on the general public, especially communities around Benin-Auchi road to continue to support the police in its fight against criminal elements in the state.
He further said that the Command would not relent in combating crime and criminality in Edo state.
