On Saturday evening, scores of travellers were reportedly kidnapped on the Benin-Owo Expressway in Ifon, the headquarters of Ondo State’s Ose Local Government Area.
The exact number of victims was unknown at the time of filing this report, but some sources claimed there were more than 40.
However, another source disclosed that the travellers were 32 in number, who were travelling in a Coastal bus to Benin City, Edo State, from Ondo State but on getting to Ifon area the hoodlums appeared from the bush and stopped the vehicle after which they whisked all the occupants of the vehicle into the bush.
The source said, “The people (victims) and they were going to Benin when they were kidnapped in Ifon area on their way yesterday ( Saturday) and nobody has heard anything about them since then.”
When contacted on Sunday, the Police Public Relations Officer of the state, Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami, confirmed the incident. She, however, was not certain on the number of the victims.
But the PPRO said the men of the command and other security agencies in the state had commenced search for the victims in the forest.
“Our men and other security agencies are already in the forest to rescue the victims unhurt, while investigation into the incident has commenced,” Odunlami stated.
Similarly, the Ondo State Security Network Agency, also known as Amotekun, said its men were currently combing the Benin-Ifon to Owo forest in the state in search for the victims.
The state commander of the Amotekun Corps, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, said the command would do all in its power to rescue the victims and rid the state of criminals.
The commander stated that the men of the corps and other security agencies “have been briefed and have since commenced search for the victims.”
