Pastor, wife, other wedding guests abducted in Kwara

No fewer than 13 people, including seven wedding guests, a pastor and his wife were abducted in two kidnapping incidents that occurred between Kwara-Ekiti axis on Saturday evening.

Police sources said that seven guests who were returning to Ilorin from a wedding in Ekiti State in a Sienna bus were accosted by kidnappers at a point between Oke-Onigbin and Omu-Aran in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State about 5.35pm on Saturday.

The second incident happened between Ekan-Meje in Oke-Ero Local Government Area of Kwara State and Ekiti State which involved a pastor and his wife as well as four other persons.

Public Relations Officer in Kwara State Police Command, SP Ajayi Okasanmi, confirmed the two kidnapping incidents but said that nine victims of the two incidents were rescued.

Okasanmi in a press statement late on Sunday said that four of the seven victims of the first kidnapping incident which occured between Oke-Onigbin and Omu-Aran were rescued by the joint security men while only the pastor and his wife are yet to be rescued in the second incident.

The statement said, “Reports of two kidnap incidents were received simultaneously by the Kwara State Police Command on Saturday 07/08/2021 at about 1735hrs to the effect that, along Okeonigbin/Omuaran highway and Ekiti / Ekan Meje axis that six armed men emerged from the bush and stopped a Siena bus in transit from Ekiti state on its way to Ilorin and the seven occupants of the vehicle were marched into the bush.

“The Command promptly dispatched its tactical units comprising the Anti kidnapping and Anti cultists units, joined by local hunters and vigilantes members while police patrols on the routes were alerted.

“The abductors were instantly chased into the bushes, four out of the seven abducted persons were rescued, efforts are still in top gear to get the remaining three rescued.

“Deploying similar tactics by operatives, those abducted in Ekanmeje/Ekiti axis using the same modus were equally rescued, remaining a pastor and his wife who the Command is frantically doing everything possible to rescue unhurt.”

Okasanmi added, “some suspects have been arrested and are helping the command in her investigation adding the situation is under control.”