TELL Magazine

Thirty-four kidnap victims have been rescued by a combined team of the Edo, Delta Police Commands, the military, and vigilantes, according to a statement by the Edo State Police Command on Sunday. The victims, who were members of a football team on their way to Warri from Agbor, were kidnapped along the Benin-Agbor Expressway on Friday.

The statement by the deputy police public relations officer, Jennifer Iwegbu, an assistant superintendent of police, ASP, said the rescued victims included 32 children, while five persons were still missing.

Iwegbu said, “The Edo State Police Command through its Uronigbe Divisional Headquarters, in Orhihonwon Local Government Area, Edo State on 13/08/2022 rescued 34 kidnapped victims, 32 of them were mostly children, along the Benin-Agbor expressway.

“Following credible information received from members of the public that at about 18:06hrs of 12/08/2022, hoodlums suspected to be kidnappers emerged from the bush along the Agbor/ Uronigbe/ Obiaruku Expressway and kidnapped occupants of a bus travelling from Agbor to Warri, with registration number DT513B2 conveying football players of Itugbe Kings Club, Warri, Delta State, and whisked them into the bush.

“On receipt of the information, the Divisional Police Officer immediately mobilised his team of police operatives in collaboration with the military, local vigilantes, and tactical team from Delta State Police Command at the state boundary, and swung into action.

“The combined team embarked on rigorous bush combing which lasted for several hours resulting in the rescue of 32 of the victims unhurt. While they were being profiled to ensure that all were rescued, it was discovered that five were still missing. Intense bush combing is ongoing to rescue the other five victims unhurt’.

Iwegbu further disclosed that earlier, the hoodlums had attacked the two occupants of one Toyota Corolla car with registration number EDL642DL, travelling from Bayelsa to Agbor.

She said one of the occupants, Ibegu Daguapu ‘M’, was shot in his right shoulder and was receiving treatment at a medical facility.

The statement quoted the state Commissioner of Police, Abutu Yaro of assuring the people of Edo State that the command under his watch would not relent in its responsibility of protecting lives and property.

Yaro thanked the public for always providing the police with prompt and credible information, and urged them to continue the partnership, as all viable and prompt information would be treated with the utmost seriousness it deserves.