JUST IN: Police rescue 12 kidnap victims in Ondo forest

By Boye Oyeyemi

The Ondo State Police Command has rescued 12 passengers abducted by suspected kidnappers along the Isua area of Akoko in Ondo State.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, saying the victims were rescued during a joint security operation carried out after the attack.

The victims were reportedly kidnapped in the early hours of Friday after gunmen intercepted two commercial Hummer buses travelling from Benue State to Ibadan and forced several passengers into a nearby forest.

According to the statement, the incident was reported around 1:30am, prompting the police to launch a coordinated rescue mission involving operatives of the command, local hunters and other security stakeholders.

The command said security teams immediately began bush-combing operations across the forests and difficult terrains while intelligence operatives tracked the fleeing suspects.

Jimoh added that the 12 rescued victims, including the drivers of the affected buses, were found alive and are currently receiving medical attention before being reunited with their families.

He noted that efforts were ongoing to rescue other victims still in captivity, adding that additional tactical teams had been deployed to strengthen the manhunt for the kidnappers.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Felix Ohagwu, who visited the scene of the attack, urged residents to support security agencies with credible information, assuring that the command remained committed to tackling kidnapping and other violent crimes across the state.