A massive manhunt is underway to track down the unknown gunmen who abducted seven travelers along the Benin-Owo highway, which is located in the Ipele area of Owo Local Government Area, Ondo State.
This operation was initiated by the operatives of the Ondo Police Command, few hours after the incident occurred, with a team of detectives and tactical squads combing the surrounding forests and communities in search of the abducted travelers and their captors.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, Funmi Odunlami, confirmed this in a statement made available to newsmen on Tuesday.
“The police received information that a vehicle was attacked along the Owo/Ifon road, and seven people were suspected to have been abducted”
“Security operatives moved to the scene, combed the area for a possible rescue of the victims, and are conducting a search-and-rescue operation for the abductees,” Odunlani assured.
As gathered, the incident occurred when the gunmen attacked a commercial bus carrying commuters, who were reportedly coming from one of the South-South states and heading towards Akure, the state capital.
According to a source on Tuesday, the armed men ambushed the travelers’ vehicle, ordering them out before marching them into the forest.
The source revealed that the hoodlums whisked all the occupants away, saying, “The hoodlums ambushed them and took all the occupants of the vehicle into the bush. Unfortunately, all the occupants were abducted, and there has been no word from them since then”.
It has been learned that the kidnappers have contacted the families of the victims and are demanding a ransom in exchange for their release.
