7 Kidnap Victims Rescued Inside Fidiwo Onigari Forest On Lagos Ibadan Expressway

Seven Kidnap Victims Rescued Inside Fidiwo Onigari Forest On Lagos Ibadan Expressway

Kidnappers Release Victims As Police Set Fire On Forest

The Ogun state police has rescued seven kidnapped victims, including the three employees of Lafia Hospital Apata, Ibadan.

The victims were said to have been rescued on July 27, inside the Fidiwo/Onigari forest along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

It was gathered that their rescue followed a manhunt of suspected criminals said to have kidnapped the three hospital workers on July 23.

According to police sources, the Inspector General of Police (IG) Mohammed Adamu had ordered the deployment of air and ground forces into the forest to smoke out the kidnappers and rescue the victims.

Following this directive, it was gathered that the State Police Commissioner Bashir Makama mandated his deputies to carryout the mission and availed them all needed technical and forensic investigation tools.

The police, it was gathered, geo-located inside the forest where they were smoked out with the help of helicopters.

Confirming the rescue, spokesman for Ogun Command Abimbola Oyeyemi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) said the victims had been reunited with their families.

He said smoking of the area forced the kidnappers to push out their victims.

“It was then we discovered that the kidnapped victims were seven and not three. We discovered that four other persons were kidnapped on July 24 but was not reported. Seven victims were rescued in all on July 27 and they have been reunited with their families.

“We arrested a suspect who is strongly believed to have taken part in the kidnapping and he is currently assisting the police with investigation. 40 others were arrested during a raid of surrounding forests and vulnerable points. We recovered all sorts of illicit drugs from them.

“They are all being investigated and whoever is culpable amongst them will be arraigned before in court. The command will not rest in its oars in order to ensure that crime and criminality become things of the past in Ogun,” he said.