Suspected gunmen at the weekend abducted four residents working at a site located in the Eleyewo area of Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The victims identified as Adesola Emiloye (45), Jimoh Akinlolu (35), Ebenezer Oloro (43), and another individual whose identity is yet to be ascertained, were ambushed and attacked while on duty at the site.
DSP Jimoh Abayomi, spokesman for the Ondo State Police Command, confirmed this in a statement released to journalists in Akure on Sunday.
Abayomi said the kidnapping incident occurred around 9:45 a.m., and the police received a distress call at the Control Room alerting the command of the abduction case.
“Upon receipt of the report, operatives of the Command’s Tactical Teams were immediately deployed to the scene,” he stated in the copy of the statement.
DSP Abayomi further explained that the prompt response of the police tactical team led to the successful rescue of two of the abducted victims, as well as the recovery of their motorcycles.
He added that the remaining two victims reportedly escaped into the bush during the operation.
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According to him, concerted efforts are ongoing to locate and rescue the remaining victims and apprehend the perpetrators.
Reiterating the command’s commitment to public safety, DSP Abayomi stated that the state has never been and will never be a safe haven for criminal elements.
He stressed that those involved in criminal activities in the state would be identified, tracked, and brought to justice.
Meanwhile, the commissioner of Police, CP Adebowale Lawal, has applauded the effective inter-agency collaboration between the police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in the state.
CP Lawal said the relationship between the two security agencies had significantly enhanced crime prevention efforts in the state.
He also appreciated the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, for his leadership and ongoing strategic policing reforms, which he said have improved intelligence sharing and operational efficiency nationwide.
The police boss, however, urged residents to continue cooperating with security agencies by providing timely and credible information to aid crime prevention and detection.