Suspected bandits have reportedly abducted 10 people in the Ahun and Oro-Ago communities in Ifelodun Local Government Area.
According to Channels Television, the gunmen struck on Wednesday morning, abducting six people in Ahun and another four in the Oro-Ago community.
While the state police command had yet to issue an official statement on the attack, the wife of Clement Emmanuel, one of the victims, confirmed the incident to the station.
She said her husband, a sawmill operator, and Solomon, his apprentice, were seized while cutting trees on a farm in Ahun village.
The woman, however, said the kidnappers had contacted the family, demanding a ransom of N10 million for two of the victims.
“Please oga reporter, help plead with them to release my husband, sir. Where will I get the N10 million they asked for?” she was quoted as saying.
The report quoted sources as saying Adewole and Adebayo, two other victims, were abducted while they were about to start burning felled trees to produce charcoal.
Adekimi Ojo, commissioner of police for the state, reportedly said he had yet to be officially briefed on the matter.
The police commissioner said his officers had earlier carried out a coordinated joint intelligence-led operation in Oro-Ago after intercepted communications revealed plans by a suspected kidnapping syndicate to infiltrate the area to service and refit motorcycles intended for criminal operations.
“The operation resulted in the arrest of 10 suspects, including a mechanic and a logistics operative allegedly supplying fuel and other operational support to the syndicate,” he said.
“Ten Bajaj Boxer motorcycles reasonably suspected to be operational assets for kidnapping and banditry activities were recovered as exhibits,” he added.
When contacted, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, spokesperson for the Nigeria Police Force, said she was not aware of the attack and would need to verify the information.
She promised to get back to the correspondent after making enquiries but had not responded as of the time of filing the report.