Police Rescue Two-year-old Child, 11 Market Women Abducted in Kwara

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin 

A two-year-old child  was among the 12 people rescued from the kidnappers by the combined team of security men in Kwara State on Monday.

The 11 market women, who went to trade at Oke-Ode market in Ifelodun Local Government Area of the  state last week Wednesday were waylaid and abducted around Oyi bridge in Yaaru/Olayinka village by some kidnappers along Ajase-ipo/Oke-Ode road between 6.00 p.m and 7.00p.m while they were returning from the market.

The traders, according to sources, were from Offa, Yaaru in Kwara state and Ikirun in Osun state.

Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Kwara Police Command, DSP  Ejire Adeyemi-Toun, who confirmed the rescue operation  yesterday  to journalists in Ilorin,  said that 12 people including a two-year-old child were rescued by the security team.

Adeyemi-Toun said: “11 market women and a two-year-old child were rescued by the security team who combed the forest in search of the kidnapped victims. All the victims have been rescued and released to their families.

“Some of those that were injured during the rescue operation were taken to the General hospital, Share, Ifelodun local government and have been discharged after the treatment,” she said.

Also speaking on the incident, the Coordinator of Kwara South Joint Community Security Watch, Elder Olaitan Oyin-Zubair, commended the joint security team for their efforts in rescuing all the people abducted by the gunmen suspected to be Kidnappers.

Oyin-Zubair said: “The gallantry and steadfastness of hunters/vigilance on the successful rescue of all abductees in last Wednesday’s kidnapping along Ajassepo/Okeode Rd by Oyi bridge between Yaru-Olayinka in Ifelodun local government of the state is commendable.

The Coordinator of the local security outfit in a statement  yesterday  recalled that 15 market women were waylaid  and abducted on the highway by kidnappers between 6.00 p.m and 7.00 p.m on the fateful day but through spontaneous efforts of  hunters and vigilance, nine regained their freedom a day after the incident.

 “The rescue team of Hunters/ Vigilance and Anti- Kidnapping Squad of the Police Force never rested in combing the forests till the last batch of the abductees regained their freedom yesterday (Monday.)”

 He disclosed that no ransom was offered for any of the abductees despite persistent daily demands from the kidnappers.

 Oyin- Zubair also disclosed that “the successful exercise of  yesterday (Monday) rescue mission by combined team of Hunters/Vigilance and the Military was made possible through intelligence gathering which hinted on  the possible location of the bandits upon which the attacks on them was successfully carried out.”

 He commended all those that supported the operations particularly the state Governor, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Victor Olaiya, the Military Commander as well as the TIC Chairman, Ifelodun local government, Hon Jide Asonibare, who provided logistics support and funds for the operations as well as treatment of the victims at General Hospital, Share.

Oyin-Zubair charged both uniformed and traditional security agencies to continue to work in unison to flush out the bandits out in Kwara South in particular and the State as a whole.