POLICE operatives in the state yesterday rescued nine kidnapped victims.
The victims were abducted while travelling from Auchi to Benin in a 14- seater white Toyota Hiace bus on Saturday.
The spokesman of the state police command, Kontongs Bello, who disclosed this in a statement in Benin, said the police acted on credible information from members of the public to rescue the abducted commuters.
The statement read: “Today 4/7/2021 (Sunday) at about 07:35hrs, acting on credible information from members of the public that a 14- seater Toyota Hiace bus, white in colour, with registration number XA 525 KRF driven by one Karimu Momoh age 40 years belonging to a private company heading from Auchi to Benin was intercepted by a group of hoodlums suspected to be kidnappers at Igieduma Village along Benin-Auchi Road.
“On receipt of the information, the DPO Ehor Division, CSP Benafa Benjamin, immediately swung into action, mobilized his team of police operatives from the division and other sister agencies and vigilante groups for immediate bush combing. They later moved into the Igieduma forest reserve.
“The suspected kidnappers on sighting the police and other team members opened fire. The superior firepower of the police operatives made the suspected kidnappers to abandon the victims and escape with bullet wounds.
“Meanwhile, nine kidnapped victims, three males, six females, were rescued unhurt. Police operatives are still combing the bush for possible arrest of the suspected kidnappers.”
