Four victims who were abducted at Isanlu-Isin, Kwara State, on Thursday, July 23, 2023, at about 5pm, have regained freedom.
This was confirmed by the police spokesman in the state police command, SP Okasanmi Ajayi, in a statement on Saturday, July 15.
The victims were identified as Dipe Ajayi, Kunle Abolarin, Femi Abolarin and Femi Ajayi, all from Oke-Aran, Isanlu-Isin.
Thenewsbearer learnt that the victims were abducted between Ijara-Isin and Isanlu-Isin on the fateful day, prompting the Commissioner of Police, EbunOluwarotimi Adelesi, to give directive to the command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit stationed within the Isin axis, local hunters and vigilantes to swing into action.
The PPRO said that immediately, the operatives went after the abductors, leading to the abandonment of the Sienna bus conveying the victims at the time of incident while one of the victims, Oke Olatunji, was rescued.
“Today (Saturday), the CP personally led another special tactical team on search m-and-rescue operation into the forests within Isin. In the process, another victim, Femi Ajayi, who was found with bullet injury, was rescued and brought to the health centre in Isanlu-Isin, where he is currently receiving medical attention,” SP Ajayi stated further.
The police image maker said that the CP also met with vigilantes, hunters and other community leaders at the palace of the Olusin of Isanlu-Isin, Oba Olugbenga Oloyede Solomon, where issues affecting the area in general were discussed and strategies and plans were implemented to forestall any further ugly occurrences.
Meanwhile, CP Ebunoluwarotimi Adelesi inspected the police post in the town and promised to increase the number of officers in the station to further enhance the safety and security of the people in the area.
Few hours after the initial statement, the PPRO gave an update, disclosing that the three remaining victims — Dipe Ajayi,
Kunle Abolarin and
Femi Abolarin — had been released due to pressure mounted on the kidnappers by the command’s tactical teams and the vigilante, led by the police commissioner.
Meanwhile, the police command debunked the news that went viral from a video which said that the two young males stricken dead by lightning at Oro-Ago area of the state were kidnappers.
Disclosing that CP Adelesi directed an investigation on the issue, Ajayi stated: “The command wishes to state categorically that the two young boys killed by that unfortunate lightning were herders aged 10 and 12 years old.
“This was revealed by the father of the victims, who was accompanied by the chairman of the Oro-Ago vigilante group, Mohammed Oni Anishere; the leader of vigilante Oko, Mumini Usman; Chief Olukosi of Oke-Oyan, and Idris Male, also of Oke-Oyan.
“The command wishes to confirm that lightning killed two young people, but they were not kidnappers, as was being erroneously amplified in the viral video. To this end, the command wishes to advise the good people of Kwara State to discountenance the story, as no such thing happened.”
