Kidnapped Victim Dies In Ondo Abductors’ Den As Amotekun Rescues 5

‎A kidnapped victim has died in the den of her abductors in Ondo State, even as operatives of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun, rescued five other victims.

‎The state Commander of Amotekun, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, disclosed this on Monday while briefing journalists on the agency’s recent operations.

‎The deceased victim was among two farmers abducted at Parubber community in Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo Local Government Area while working on their farms along the Ondo-Ife Road.

‎The gunmen, one of whom was reportedly armed with an AK-47 rifle, marched the victims into a nearby forest and later demanded N100 million ransom from their families.

‎Adeleye said Amotekun deployed nine members of its Special Squad after receiving a distress call over the abduction and also contacted sister security agencies, particularly the Department of State Services, to commence a joint tracking operation.

‎According to him, the operation lasted for about 72 hours as the kidnappers allegedly deceived security operatives with false geolocation signals before the victims were eventually traced to a reserve forest several kilometres away from the scene of the abduction.

‎“We successfully secured the release of the two of them that were kidnapped in Okeigbo. Not without a lot of trouble because the kidnappers equally deceived us on the geolocation with the beach,” Adeleye said.

‎He, however, said the operation ended tragically as the female victim was found unconscious and could not be revived, while the male victim was rescued alive.

‎The commander said the agency had adopted non-kinetic measures alongside intelligence-driven bush combing to counter the changing strategies of kidnappers, adding that the successful operations had demonstrated that criminals had no hiding place in Ondo State.

‎Adeleye also disclosed that two boys abducted in the Owo axis were rescued without payment of ransom, while one of the suspects linked to the crime had been traced to Oyo State and efforts were ongoing to apprehend him.

‎He added that two other men abducted in the Ala-Dada axis were rescued after they managed to send a distress call, with Amotekun Rangers responding within minutes and securing their release from the forest.

‎The commander further announced the arrest of suspected cattle rustlers operating around Ore, Ode-Aye, Ofosu and Omotosho in Odigbo Local Government Area. He said the gang allegedly stole cattle from three locations and sold them through ready markets across the state at ridiculously low prices.

‎“We have those that bought these cows from him. He has ready markets across the state where he sends the cows to for sale at very ridiculous prices,” he said.

‎Adeleye said other suspects were also arrested for alleged illegal possession of firearms, vandalism, theft of iron rods and motorcycle theft, while a motorcycle reportedly stolen in Akure and taken to Ore for resale was recovered.

‎He assured residents and investors that the state remained safe, declaring that Amotekun would continue to work with other security agencies to rescue victims and bring criminals to justice.