Police operatives from the Oyo State command, in collaboration with local hunters, have rescued four people who were kidnapped on their way to a quarry site on the Ibadan-Ijebu Ode Road yesterday.
Sources told Oyo Affairs that about ten heavily-armed gunmen blocked the vehicle they were in on their way to the Kulum Quarry site at Onigambari community around 11 a.m.
The victims, three women and one man, are members of the transport union who help to load the granite brought from the quarry site.
After being kidnapped, their abductors immediately took them into the bush to avoid the police who were situated on the main road close to the quarry. The abduction was quickly reported to the police however, and they swung into action quickly, along with local hunters who knew the bush well and soon had the search party hot on the heels of the kidnappers.
As soon as they realized that the police and hunters joint search party was closing in, the kidnappers abandoned their victims and fled to avoid arrest.
The victims were rescued by the police at about 12:30 pm, it was gathered. Afterwards, the police and local hunters went back to recover the victims’ belongings, including their phones, ID cards and ATM cards.
Two hours after that, the kidnappers tried to abduct some people beside Mamu community but this time, the police were alert and easily repelled them.
The Oyo State Police Command PRO, DSP Adewale Osifeso confirmed the abduction and rescue and revealed that the gunmen abducted the victims by blocking them in with a Toyota Sienna vehicle with registration number; LUY835KV.
He said: “The process was however thwarted by the swift intervention of police operatives from the Command, in concerted efforts with vigilantes and local hunters, who engaged the abductors and were able to rescue all the victims unhurt. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the abductors.”
