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From Tony Osauzo, Benin
The Edo State Police Command announced yesterday that its operatives have rescued four kidnapped victims on Benin-Akure Road, killing a suspected kidnapper, in a gun duel with policemen in a separate encounter.
The identities of the rescued victims were given as Okolie Chukuka, 33; Samson Ayodele, 41; Mrs. Ronke Makinde, 30, and her five-year-old daughter.
Deputy spokesperson of the Command, Jennifer Iwegbu, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), who announced the rescue in a statement, said “Following credible information at the command’s disposal, on August 20, at 9:50 p.m., hoodlums suspected to be kidnappers and dressed in military uniform, 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”, the statement added.
Besides, the statement said in another encounter on August 20, operatives of the command, acting on credible information, killed a suspected kidnapper.
It explained that through a man who escaped from a kidnappers’ den, operatives of the command, in collaboration with vigilance members and hunters, laid ambush at Iyuku forest in Edo, where the man was earlier abducted.
The statement said at 11:30 a.m., 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 immediately 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.
“One locally-made, single-barrel gun and four live cartridges were recovered from the scene. Bush combing is ongoing to arrest the fleeing gang members”, the statement further disclosed
It quoted the state Commissioner of Police, Abutu Yaro, of reaffirming his commitment to ensuring that the state was safe and peaceful for all residents, urged them not to relent in their collaboration with the police command, just as it assured that all credible information made available would continue to get positive responses.
