Rotimi Ojomoyela
It was a lucky day for one of the kidnapped victims who was rescued by joint forces of the Police, Amotekun corps and hunters on Christmas Day.
The rescued victim was kidnapped along with one other person by unknown gunmen in Ekiti State.
The incident occurred along Isan-Iludun road at about 6 pm, when the commuters were stopped by gun wielding bandits and abducted them.
The security outfits are still making efforts to rescue the second victim.
The former Commissioner for Agriculture in Ekiti State, Mr Folorunso Olabode, was kidnapped along that route, while one of his political associates was shot dead by the gunmen.
A source from Iludun Ekiti confirmed to newsmen in Ado Ekiti on Saturday that a vehicle coming behind the victims quickly alerted the police and Amotekun corps for speedy action.
“It was a vehicle coming behind the Jeep conveying the victims that stopped his car and fled into the bush to contact some people.
“The people contacted immediately called the police in Oye Ekiti and Amotekun corps who were joined by local hunters, gave the gunmen a hot chase into the bush and rescued one of the victims.”
Also recounting how the incident happended, the Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti Command, Mr Sunday Abutu, confirmed that his men at the Oye Divisional Police Station worked with other local security outfits to rescue one of the victims.
Abutu in a statement said: “On December 25, 2020 at about 6pm, a distress call was received by Oye DPO that some unknown gunmen forcefully stopped one Lexus Jeep along Isan/Iludun Ekiti road and kidnapped the two occupants.
“Upon receipt of the information, the DPO led his team to the scene with the assistance of the Amotekun Corps, the vigilantes and the hunters, one of the victims was rescued while serious effort is ongoing to ensure the rescue of the other victim.”
Abutu said the success of the operation indicated the readiness of the police to work with the locals in Ekiti to rid the state of criminal elements.
Abutu added that the Commissioner of Police, Mr Babatunde Mobayo, appealed for calm and implored anyone with useful information concerning the incident or other criminal activities to please, contact the nearest Police Station for prompt action.
