A combined team of security men in Kwara state on Monday rescued 12 persons, including a two-year-old child from their abductors
The Nigerian Tribune gathered that 11 market women had gone to trade at Oke-Ode market in the Ifelodun local government area of the state last week Wednesday and were waylaid and abducted around Oyi bridge in Yaaru/Olayinka village by some kidnappers along Ajase-ipo/Oke-Ode road between 6 and 7pm while they were returning from the market.
Sources said that the traders were from Offa and Yaaru in Kwara state, as well as Ikirun in Osun state.
Speaking on the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Kwara Police command, Toun Ejire-Adeyemi, confirmed the rescue operation on Tuesday, saying that 12 people including a two year old child were rescued by the security team.
“Eleven market women and a two-year-old child were rescued by the security team, who combed the forest in search of the kidnapped victims. All the victims have been rescued and released to their families.
“Some of those that were injured during the rescue operation were taken to the General Hospital, Share, in the Ifelodun local government and have been discharged after the treatment”, she said.
The coordinator of the local security outfit, Olaitan Oyin-Zubair, in a statement on Tuesday, recalled that 15 market women were waylaid and abducted on the highway by kidnappers between 6 and 7pm on the fateful day, saying that nine regained their freedom a day after the incident through spontaneous efforts of hunters and vigilance team.
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“The rescue team of hunters/ vigilante and Anti-kidnapping Squad of the Police Force never rested in combing the forests till the last batch of the abductees regained their freedom yesterday (Monday)”
He disclosed that no ransom was offered for any of the abductees despite persistent daily demands from the kidnappers.
Oyin-Zubair also said that “the successful rescue exercise by combined team of hunters/vigilante and the military was made possible through intelligence gathering which hinted on the possible location of the bandits upon which the attacks on them was successfully carried out”.
He commended all those that supported the operations particularly Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Victor Olaiya, the Military Commander as well as the TIC Chairman, Ifelodun local government, Hon Jide Asonibare, who he said provided logistics support and funds for the operations as well as treatment of the victims at General Hospital, Share.
Oyin-Zubair charged both uniformed and traditional security agencies to continue to work in unison to flush out the bandits out of Kwara South in particular and the state as a whole.
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