Officers of the Oyo state police command have rescued a staff of the Polaris bank, one Babatunde Dauda and a palm wine tapper; Oluwaseun Oluokun who were among the five persons reportedly kidnapped on Monday morning along Ibadan-Ijebu Ode Road.
According to reports, the abductors who were alleged to be Fulani herdsmen blocked the road and intercepted road users at a quarry site on Ibadan-Ijebu Ode Road, just after Ibuso Gbooro, close to Dally Junction at about 7 in the morning.
The Fulani abductors were said to have jumped on the road from their hideout in the bush on sighting two oncoming Toyota Camry vehicles approaching their side of the road.
One of the vehicles was occupied by two bank staff from Polaris Bank and Wema Bank each, with the driver on their way to their offices in Ijebu Ode, while the other car was occupied by those going to Ogbere, both in Ogun State.
The kidnappers started shooting sporadically before taking captive the car occupants and a palm wine tapper who was just passing by on his way to the farm to tap palm wine.
The kidnappers were said to have spared the driver of the car conveying the bank officials, asking him to go inform their victims’ families family of their current state and to probably communicate a ransom.
It was gathered that when the case was reported at Idi Ayunre Police Station, the Divisional Police Officer, police personnel, operatives of Anti-Kidnapping Squad, different police tactical teams on the road, as well as local hunters, Agbekoya, Amotekun Corps and local vigilantes begin immediate combing of the forest to rescue the victims and arrest the kidnappers.
It was learnt that expended shells were picked by the police included those of AK-47 ammunition and cartridges.
The pressure exerted during the search was said to have unsettled the kidnappers which made them unable to call the victims’ family members, and which led to the rescue of Polaris bank official and the palm wine tapper at Ogunmakin area at about 1 pm on Tuesday.
They were reportedly beaten before they were let go by the kidnappers.
As of the time of filing this report, the police are still combing the forest to rescue the remaining victims.
Recall that there was a kidnap incident a week ago along the same road, during which three victims were abducted but released after the payment of N500,000 by two of the victims while one of them was rescued by the police.
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Olugbenga Fadeyi confirmed the abduction and the rescue of two of the victims by the police.
The PPRO said that the police operatives are still combing the forest in search of the remaining victims, to secure their release. He stated further that the law enforcement agents are also after the abductors to arrest them.
