Travellers, including five members of the National Youth Service Corps kidnapped along the Benin-Owo Expressway had regained their freedom after being abandoned in the forest by the abductors, the Ondo State Police Command stated on Monday.
The kidnappers, armed with AK-47 rifles, were reported to have laid siege and attacked the Sienna bus conveying the travellers, at about 11 pm on Thursday at the Omi Alafa Village in Ifon, Ose Local Government Area and dragged the victims into the forest.
The five corps members, consisting of four females, and one male, were on their way from Enugu State, where they had undergone the mandatory orientation camp of the National Youth Service Corps. Their names were given Oluwaseun Adewole, Feranmi Oluwadara, Patience Andrew, Taiwo Oribamise, and Lekan Ajayi.
The driver and one traveller sitting in front of the vehicle were reportedly shot dead by the abductors.
After the kidnap, one of the families of the victims was contacted by the abductors, who demanded a ransom of N1m on each of the abductees, with a threat to kill all of them that same weekend if the demand was not met.
Confirming the development in a statement on Monday, The Ondo State Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami said, “The command this day July 22 has found the victims of the Ose/Ifon area kidnap which occurred on July 18, 2024. The victims were abandoned by their assailants after the police mounted pressure on the kidnappers.
“Policemen drawn from the tactical squad led by the Area Commander of Owo, ACP Olufemi Awoyale’s continuous combing of the bush with sustained technical support frustrated the assailants and forced the bandits to abandon the victims at the Oyinbo/Sanusi Camp.”
She added that the victims were currently being attended to at the Police Medical Services, Owo, and would be handed over to their family members after being debriefed.
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