Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
Gunmen at the weekend reportedly abducted about 10 persons along Obbo Ayegunle-Osi Road in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State.
Already, the state police command has ordered an immediate manhunt of the armed men wherever they may be hiding in the area.
THISDAY checks revealed that two people were said to have been killed while several others sustained serious injuries during the incident.
It was further learnt that the remains of two victims of the attack have been deposited at Carosi Hospital mortuary for autopsy.
THISDAY investigations revealed that unknown armed men forcefully attacked an 18-seater commercial bus with registration number XC 167 MUN, along Obbo Ayegunle-Osi Road in Ekiti Local Government Area of the state.
It was said that the gunmen shot into the vehicle and fatally injured the driver, identified as Akeem and one Mama Ariye, both of Obbo Ayegunle town while some yet to be specified numbers of passengers were abducted and moved into the bush.
Sources close to the town told journalists yesterday in Ilorin that “on receipt of the information, men of the police in Obbo Ayegunle including vigilante, local hunters and available members of sister agencies were said to have rushed to the scene of the incident.
“Upon getting to the scene of the incident, the bodies of the dead were retrieved and deposited at Carosi Hospital mortuary for autopsy while the security agencies have moved into the bushes in an effort to get the victims rescued.”
However, the State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Okasanmi Ajayi, confirmed the ugly development and said that the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Tuesday Assayomo, has directed a 24 hourly patrol of the area in conjunction with other sister security agencies to boost the confidence of the people and to also prevent any further attack in the area.
Ajayi said: “The Commissioner of police, Cp Tuesday Assayomo on hearing of the unfortunate incident directed that a massive manhunt for the perpetrators of the heinous crime must commence, gave a marching order to the area commander and the divisional police officers covering the area to move into the bushes to ensure that the kidnapped victims were rescued and the kidnappers arrested.
“While empathising with the families of the deceased, the commissioner assures that the perpetrators of the crime would be smoked out from wherever they may be hiding.”
