Police Rescue 4 Victims, Kill Suspected Kidnapper In Edo

The police in Edo State have rescued four kidnapped victims on Benin-Akure Road and killed a suspected kidnapper during a gun duel.

The victims are two males: Okolie Chukuka, 33; and Samson Ayodele, 41; as well as Mrs Ronke Makinde, 30 and her five-year-old daughter.

The deputy police public relations officer, Jennifer Iwegbu made the disclosure yesterday in an online statement.
She said, “Following credible information at the command’s disposal on August 20, at 9:50 pm, hoodlums suspected to be kidnappers and dressed in military uniforms, emerged from the bush along the Benin-Akure Road, intercepted a Toyota Camry car, with registration number: MM 528 AA, and whisked the occupants into the bush.
“Operatives of the command immediately mobilised to the scene for rigorous bush combing and rescue of the victims. The hoodlums, on sighting the operatives on their trail, opened fire on them, which led to a gun duel.
“The superior firepower of the police operatives took charge in the operation and the kidnappers took to their heels, abandoning four of their victims. Fierce bush combing is ongoing to rescue one of the kidnapped victims left and also to arrest the fleeing gang members,” she said.
Iwegbu revealed that still on August 20, 2022, the command, acting on credible information, killed a suspected kidnapper during a gun duel.
She said at 11:30 am, one of the suspected kidnappers, while coming from their hideout with a single-barrel gun, ran into the ambush laid by operatives of the command, and was joined by the other suspected criminals.
“The suspected kidnappers, on sighting the police operatives, began to fire at them, but with the professional training of the operatives, they took cover and fired back at the enemies.
“One of the kidnappers was neutralised (killed) in the process, while the other members of the gang escaped, with various degrees of gunshot injuries,” Iwegbu said.