No fewer than 13 persons were kidnapped along Abuja Road in Isua, the headquarters of the Akoko South-East Local Government Area of Ondo State by some unknown gunmen.
According to a source in the town, the victims were in an 18-passenger bus travelling to Abuja from Lagos when the hoodlums waylaid their bus and dragged them out of the bus and thereafter marched them into the bush on Tuesday evening.
“It was like a movie when a 13-passenger Abuja bound bus was waylaid on Tuesday by some unknown gunmen at Isua the headquarters of the Akoko South East Local Government and marched them to the forest, leaving only three of the passengers,” the source said.
PUNCH Metro gathered that security agents, which included the men of the Amotekun Corps, the state police command and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps as well as soldiers, combed the forest where the victims were rescued.
The source said the victims were rescued at the Ikakumo area in the Akoko North-East Local Government Area, a distance of almost 20km from Isua where they were abducted
“The joint security agents immediately combed the forest and their efforts yielded fruitful results when some of the abducted travellers were rescued during the joint operation,” the source added.
The rescued victims were taken to the Isua Police Division.
When contacted on Thursday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Funmilayo Odunlami, confirmed the incident and said one of the kidnappers was shot dead when the security men engaged the kidnappers in a gun duel.
“The victims were rescued by the joint security operation. One of the kidnappers was killed during a gun duel. We are on top of the situation,” Odunlami said.
Contact: [email protected]
