Kwara police confirm abduction of newlyweds, rescue efforts underway

By Mosunmola Ayobami, Ilorin

The Kwara State Commissioner of Police, CP Adekimi Ojo, has confirmed the abduction of a newlywed couple along the Koro-Iyemero route in Kogi State on Saturday.

Ojo confirmed the incident during a telephone conversation on Sunday, saying the couple had travelled from Kogi State for their wedding ceremony at an undisclosed location before they were intercepted and abducted.

According to the commissioner, the couple were travelling in a vehicle when they were stopped by the suspected kidnappers.

Ojo did not give full details of the ongoing rescue operation. However, he said the command had launched a search operation to locate the victims and secure their release.

He further disclosed that soldiers had moved into the bush as part of efforts to find the abducted persons, while the vehicle conveying the victims was found abandoned at a police station in Ayetoro, Ekiti State.

He assured that security agencies were working jointly to rescue the victims, stressing that the incident would be treated as a security matter requiring coordinated action across jurisdictional boundaries.

Earlier reports identified the couple as Funmilayo Bamidele and her husband, Rev. Abiodun David. They were reportedly returning from their engagement ceremony in Eruku when the abduction occurred.

The couple were reportedly taken alongside four other persons during the incident on Saturday, September 26, 2026.