Korede Abdullah 
ADO-EKITI, Nigeria – A joint security operation involving the police, military, Amotekun Corps and local vigilantes has rescued two kidnap victims and arrested a suspected kidnapper during a raid on a criminal hideout along the Ekiti-Kogi border.
The victims, identified as 35-year-old Iorfa Solomon and 37-year-old Blessing Kingsley, were rescued unharmed from a forest camp located between Irele-Ekiti in Ekiti State and Ogbe in neighbouring Kogi State.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer, Sunday Abutu, the breakthrough followed intensive bush-combing operations by security personnel targeting criminal hideouts in the area.
“The police operatives in collaboration with the military, Amotekun Corps and local vigilantes discovered a den of kidnappers inside the forest where two victims were held hostage,” Abutu said in a statement.
He disclosed in a statement on Wednesday that the kidnappers opened fire on the security team upon sighting the operatives, resulting in a gun battle.
“Upon sighting the operatives, the suspected kidnappers engaged them in a gun duel and in the process, one of the suspects was arrested while other members of the gang escaped,” he said.
The arrested suspect, identified as Abubakar Kabiru, reportedly confessed to participating in the abduction and named seven accomplices who remain at large.
Police investigations revealed that the victims were abducted on June 4 while working at Aluta Bar in Ikoyi, Kogi State, when armed attackers stormed the premises and whisked them into the forest.
The rescued victims also identified Kabiru as one of their abductors.
Authorities say efforts are ongoing to track down the fleeing gang members and dismantle the criminal network.
Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Michael Falade, urged residents to remain vigilant and continue supporting security agencies with credible information to strengthen the fight against kidnapping and other violent crimes.
About the Author
Oluwafunbi Bello 
Edino Chubiyo Cornelius