The Nigerian Police have rescued four people abducted by suspected kidnappers along the Lagos-Benin Expressway in Edo State and launched a manhunt for the fleeing suspects.
According to the Edo State Police Command, the victims were rescued during a coordinated operation involving police operatives, members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria, local hunters and other security agencies.
Police said the abduction occurred on July 30 when three armed men, dressed in vigilante uniforms, reportedly blocked the Ugbokun axis before the military checkpoint with logs of wood and leaves before attacking motorists and taking some victims into a nearby forest.
The Divisional Police Officer of the Okada Division mobilised a joint rescue team, which carried out extensive bush-combing operations supported by drone technology to locate the victims and track the kidnappers.
The command said sustained pressure from the security team forced the suspects to abandon the hostages and flee into the forest.
All four victims were rescued unhurt and have since been reunited with their families.
The police commended the security personnel involved in the operation for their professionalism and assured residents that efforts to combat kidnapping and other violent crimes would continue.
Authorities said investigations are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects and urged residents to provide credible information to support the operation.