Gunmen abduct seven market women leaders, nine others in Ondo

Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted seven people along Akure/Owo road in Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State.

The victims who were mainly women were said to have ran into the roadblock mounted by the hoodlums in the ever-busy road between Uso and Ogbese town.

The victims were said to be heading to Akure, the state capital for the monthly meeting of Iyalaje, iyalojas and women leaders when the ugly incident happened.

Most of the victims were said to be coming from Isua Akoko in the Akoko South-East Local Government Area of the state before they were held hostage.

The leader of the team and the Iyaloja of Isua Akoko, Chief Mrs Helen Edward, was also abducted while the driver of the bus, simply identified as Jimi, who conveyed the Iyaloja was released.

According to the driver who explained that the gunmen, numbering over ten and of Fulani extraction were armed with sophisticated weapons, shooting sporadically into the air to scare their victims.

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He disclosed that he was released in order to go and inform the relatives of the victims about their abduction

He said apart from abducting the women, two other vehicles were robbed while some other people were also kidnapped.

However, a source informed that the abductors have established negotiation with the families of the victims demanding for N11m to secure their freedom.

The source informed that the hoodlums had however switched off their phones after demanding the sum of N11m while there was apprehension in the Isua Akoko over the incident.

Efforts to speak to the executive chairman of the local government, Mr Adurogboye, was not successful but it was gathered that security agents including military men have been combing the forests between Ogbese and Uso to rescue the victims.

Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Tee- Leo Ikoro, said not only market women were abducted but said 16 people were abducted by the hoodlums.

He, however, said police from the command have been able to rescue ten of the victims while four of the suspects have been arrested by a search party who have been combing the forest in the area since the incident happened.

He assured that other victims would be rescued alive and unhurt, saying the security operatives from the state would bring the perpetrators to book soon.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE