By Johnson Olayinka
More facts emerged on Sunday on the failed abduction of three victims on Friday night by armed men at two villages in Omupo district of Ifelodun Local Government in Kwara state.
Our Correspondent gathered that two Fulani ladies and one of their husbands from their camp near Gaa Sulu village in Omupo District of Ifelodun local government area of the state regained their freedom through gallantry efforts of hunters and vigilante groups.
One of the suspected kidnappers however, lost his life during exchange of gunfire and five suspected kidnappers identified as Gwari and Zuru origins were later apprehended.
Joint operations of traditional hunters and vigilante of Miyetti Allah, in collaboration with the Nigeria Police successfully rescued the three abducted persons without paying ransom to their abductors.
A statement on Sunday by the Coordinator, Joint Security Network, Kwara South District, Elder Olaitan Oyin Zubair revealed that “upon receiving the news of the abduction of three people, the hunters and vigilante group swung into action by combing the forests through Bayagan to Maloko, Jobi and Alo axes, which resulted into exchange of gunfire between the hunters and the kidnappers.
Elder Oyin Zubair said “the hunters who were promptly joined by residents from various communities in the area to chase the six kidnappers led to the freedom of the abducted persons and arrest of some of the evil criminals, adding that one of them was shot dead during the exchange of gunfire.”
The co-ordinator stated that the operation was successful owing largely to the cooperation of both Meyitti Allah vigilante and members of the joint security network movement with the active support of traditional rulers from the area.
Elder Oyin-Zubair maintained that the success of the operation without allowing the bandits to dictate terms for the freedom of their abductees proved the readiness of the local people to take the war to the bandits terrorising the state and Kwara South Senatorial District in particular.
The coordinator commended the state police commissioner, Victor Olaiya, and other senior police officers who actively monitored and encouraged the success of the operations.
