Armed gunmen, at the weekend, attacked and abducted passengers in an 18-seater bus along the Ikare- Irun Akoko -Ado Ekiti highway in Ondo state.
The victims were returning from a party held at a community in Ekiti state and were travelling back to lkare, in Ondo state on Saturday.
Some of the victims are caterers who had gone to cook at a party.
Confirming the abduction, the Commander of the state’s security outfit codenamed Amotekun, Chief Adetunji Adeleye, confirmed the attack and abduction of the travellers.
Adeleye, however, told newsmen that his men have been able to rescue some of the abducted travellers.
According to him, “My men and solders from Ekiti are combing the forest.
“The hoodlums did not kidnap the 18 passengers in the bus. Some of the passengers escaped, while our men with soldiers rescued some of the victims in the night. Our men are combing the forest as we speak”, he said.
The attack occurred on Saturday around 6 pm. The victims, according to an eyewitness account, are from Irun Akoko, Ikare Akoko and Ekiti communities.
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The source said that a young boy escaped from the kidnappers while his mother and her staff were not lucky and they were taken into the forest by their abductors.
One of the victim that escaped, Toyin Ogunyemi, while narrating his ordeal, said the kidnappers had not contacted the family of the victims for ransom to secure their freedom.
Another source said that Military personnel, alongside Amotekun Corps from Ekiti and Ondo states, in collaboration with local vigilantes, are combing the forests to secure the safe release of the victims.
Contacted, the states police command’s spokesperson, Funmi Odunlami, confirmed the abduction of the passengers.
Odunlami said, “four people came to the station and reported that while on their way from Ado Ekiti to Ikare at Oyinmo camp, Irun- Ado Ekiti road, they were attacked by unknown gunmen, but they escaped through the bush.
She said that the police search team have been deployed to the area and assured that the victims will be rescued unhurt soon.
