Ondo State Police Command rescued eight Christ Christ Apostolic Church Choristers.
The eight were amongst the Twenty-Five Oke Igan Parish CAC Chosristers in Akure Ondo State who were kidnapped on Friday.
They were reportedly attacked and kidnapped on the Benin-Akure Expressway, around the Ifon area in Ose Local Government Area of the state while they were travelling to Ifon for a burial ceremony.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami, confirmed that eight of the victims had been rescued while efforts were ongoing to rescue the remaining victims.
“Good news!, eight victims rescued, effort is on to rescue others unhurt”, she said on a WhatsApp platform.But speaking on the ugly incident, the Commander, of the state security outfit codenamed Amotekun, Chief Adetunji Adeleye, confirmed the escape from their abductors.
Adeleye said that personnel of Police Anti Kidnapping, Amotekun Corps in conjunction with the Nigeria Army are on the kidnapper’s trail in Owo/Ose axis to ensure that the remaining victims are released.
A church member, who spoke with newsmen, said the victims were going for the burial ceremony of a church member when the kidnappers struck. According to her, the vehicle conveying the victims was abandoned on the highway. Contacted, spokesperson for the state police command, Funmi Odunlami, said “The police were informed that a church bus with the inscription CAC was abandoned around the Elegbeka area and there are suspicions that the passengers in the vehicle were kidnapped”. Odunlami added: The Police Anti-kidnapping Squad and other tactical teams have been deployed to the area to rescue the victims and arrest all those involved in the crime. She confirmed that eight of the victims escaped from the kidnapper's den The spokesperson said:” The rescued victims said they are members of CAC Oke Igan, Akure. They were on their way to a wakekeep. On getting to Ajagbale via Elegbeka on the Ifon/ Owo expressway, they were accosted by five unknown gunmen who shot sporadically and forcefully took them into the bush”.