Combined security team kills three kidnappers in Kogi

Three suspected kidnappers were killed in Kogi State by combined security operatives comprising policemen, soldiers and local hunters.

The kidnappers, according to reports, engaged the security men in a shootout before they met their waterloo.

The state police command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP William Ayam, while confirming the incident to newsmen on Saturday, said two of the kidnappers also escaped with gunshot injuries.

Aya said that the five-man armed kidnappers had, on September 11, kidnapped six persons between Iyamoye and Ekinrinade road in Ijumu Local Government Area of the state.

The kidnappers, who were masked, were said to have, on the said day, kidnapped Chief Ganiyu Popoola, the Elemoh Aran of Omu-Aran, his brother, Dr Sule Popoola, their nephew, a woman and her husband, said to be a medical doctor, and an unidentified victim.

They were said to be travelling to Lokoja in their separate vehicles when they and another commercial bus ran into a roadblock mounted by the suspects.

READ ALSO: Woman slumps, dies after husband slapped her for refusing to breastfeed baby

The driver of the commercial bus was, however, able to quickly manoeuvre his vehicle and escape with a bullet-shattered windscreen towards Omuo-Oke, a border town between Ekiti and Kogi states.

The kidnappers, after robbing their victims, later marched them into the nearby thick forest.

Popoola, one of the victims, said that the kidnappers took them to their hideouts where they were detained for hours before they released him, his brother and the only woman among them.

He said that they were given instructions to go and look for ransom to secure the release of others.

Before releasing them, Popoola said that their captors took their phone numbers and returned their handsets to them.

He said that they trekked for hours before finding their way out of the forest and came out at a spot at Egbeda-Egga community.

On coming out, Popoola said that they sighted two policemen on leg patrol and some other people whom they narrated their ordeals to.

He said that it was while doing this that some armed soldiers, led by a major, came to join them, saying that the soldiers were informed of the incident by the driver of the commercial bus who was lucky to escape.

Popoola said that the soldiers, numbering about five, the two policemen and the head of local hunters in Egbeda-Egga, led them back to the kidnappers’ hideouts.

He said that the head of the local hunters, being familiar with the terrain, asked them some questions, and with answers given to him, was able to lead them to the hideouts with ease.

On sighting them, he said that the kidnappers opened fire, adding that the security agents immediately engaged them in a fierce gun duel during which three of the kidnappers were killed, while two others escaped with gunshot wounds.

The soldiers were said to have carried the corpses of the kidnappers to Iyara divisional police station and also handed over two rifles, one AK-47 and a pump action, to the policemen on duty.

In addition, Aya said that a sum of N57,510 and five different telephone handsets were found on them.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now