Some armed men suspected to be kidnappers have abducted seven travellers, close to the Ipele community, along the Owo-Benin highway in Ondo State.
According to a source, the victims were coming from a state in the South-South region and heading for Akure, the Ondo State capital when the incident occurred over the weekend.
There were initially conflicting reports on the number of those abducted. But the spokesperson of Ondo State Police Command, Funmilayo Odunlami, told newsmen that seven persons were kidnapped.
Odunlami said that the police have since swung into action to apprehend the hoodlums and rescue the victims as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, operatives of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, also known as Amotekun Corps, have arrested 28 crime suspects in various parts of the state.
Among them is a 55-year-old alleged serial rapist, Ayodele Ijidakinro, who had recently completed a three-year jail term for the same crime.
Parading the suspects on Monday at the headquarters of Amotekun Corps in Akure, the Ondo Amotekun Commander, Adetunji Adeleye, disclosed that 24 of the suspects were apprehended for various breaches of law and order; one for herders/farmers clashes and three for kidnapping.
He added that three suspected kidnappers; Akpan, Alimi, and Emmanuel; were arrested in Akure, Emure, and Upeme-Owo, respectively.
For those who breached the law, one Adu Ojo, who specialised in ATM fraud was paraded. He is said to have defrauded unsuspecting victims by manipulating ATMs to trap victims’ cards, retrieving them with a secret code, and draining their accounts.
Two suspects, Mafo and Asara, were arrested for conspiracy and rape. One suspect, Idris Umaru, was also caught illegally grazing on a farmer’s land and using underage herders.
Also, three of the suspects – Oluwafemi, Francis, and Sunday – were arrested for burglary, while one Lawal was arrested for stealing mobile phones and pumping machines.
Another suspect, Ismaila Kazim, was arrested for attacking commercial motorcyclists, dispossessing them of their motorcycles, and selling them.
