Police in Oyo State have rescued a staff member of Polaris Bank, one Babatunde Dauda, and a palm wine tapper, Oluwaseun Oluokun, who were among the five people that were kidnapped on Ibadan-Ijebu Ode Road on Monday.
Sundry reports said that the abductors, who were Fulani herdsmen, blocked the road at quarry site on Ibadan-Ijebu Ode Road, after Ibuso Gbooro, and close to Dally Junction about 7 am.
They were said to have jumped on the road from the bush on sighting two Toyota Camry vehicles approaching.
One of the vehicles was occupied by two bank staff members from Polaris Bank and Wema Bank each, with the driver on their way to their offices in Ijebu Ode, while the other car was occupied by those going to Ogbere, both in Ogun State.
The kidnappers started shooting sporadically before taking captive the car occupants and a palm wine tapper who was just passing by on his way to the farm to tap palm wine.
They were said to have spared the driver of the car occupied by the bank officials, asking him to go and tell their victims’ families of their predicament.
When the case was reported at Idi Ayunre Police Station, the Divisional Police Officer, police personnel, operatives of Anti-Kidnapping Squad, different police tactical teams on the road, as well as local hunters, Agbekoya, Amotekun Corps and local vigilantes started combing the forest to rescue the victims and arrest the kidnappers.
Expended shells were reportedly picked up by the police. They included those of AK-47 ammunition and other cartridges.
The pressure exerted during the search was said to have unsettled the kidnappers, making it difficult for them to place calls to family members of the kidnapped persons.
This was believed to have led to the rescue of the Polaris bank official and the palm wine tapper at Ogunmakin area about 1 pm on Tuesday.
They were reportedly beaten before they were let go by the kidnappers, according to report
The police, according to reports, were still combing the forest to rescue the remaining victims.
Nigerian Tribune reported that there was a kidnap incident a week ago along the same road, during which three victims were abducted.
They were, however, released after payment of N500,000 by two of the victims while one of them was rescued by the police.
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Olugbenga Fadeyi confirmed the abduction and the rescue of two of the victims by the police.
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