Three days after the abduction of three farm managers in Asa Local Government Area of Kwara State, they were rescued at about 11:30pm on Thursday, March 25, 2021, by operatives of Kwara State Police Command, led by the Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Lawal Bagega.
This was disclosed by the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Ajayi Okasanmi, in a statement on Friday, March 26.
The names of the rescued persons were given as Dr Julius Owoeye, who is a veterinary doctor, Akeem Ajadi and Bola Adedoye.
They were said to be workers at Bafford/Morola’s Farms at Elega, via Pampo Village, Ilorin.
The PPRO, who said that the Command was surprised at the victims’ abduction, in spite of tight security arrangements put in place round the state.
He said that it prompted the Commissioner of Police to order the operatives of the anti-kidnapping unit to go in search of the victims, in order to rescue them.
Saying that the search was personally supervised by the police commissioner, Okasanmi stated further that the intense pressure put on kidnappers by the operatives made them to abandon their victims and flee.
“Effort is still ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspects. The victims are evidently traumatised, but are in stable frames of mind, as they have been attended to by the command’s doctors,” the PPRO said.
He said that the rescue was sequel to the commitment of the Commissioner of Police to rescue the victims, which had been achieved.
The police commissioner also promised to make sure that the kidnappers are arrested.
“This is to send a signal to all criminals, irrespective of their nomenclature, that Kwara State is never a safe haven for criminal elements,” Okasanmi stated, saying that such criminals should relocate or face the wrath of the law.
“The Commissioner of Police wishes to appreciate all stakeholders that collaborated with the command in making this rescue mission a success,” he added.
