Operatives of the Edo State Police Command have rescued five kidnap victims and arrested two suspects in connection with the crime.
The spokesperson for the police in the state, Bello Kontongs, who disclosed this in a statement on Saturday said the cops acted on a tip-off that suspected kidnappers had stopped a vehicle conveying a corpse from Lagos to Imo State around Ute River, Benin-Lagos bypass.
The attackers were said to have kidnapped three occupants of the vehicle and the policemen moved into action.
Kontongs said, “On receipt of the information, the Divisional Police Officer, Egba division, SP John Emmanuel, immediately swung into action, mobilising his operatives and the local vigilance group for immediate bush combing. They advanced into Ute forest. After hours of bush combing, they came across the suspected kidnappers. On sighting the police, they (kidnappers) opened fire on them. The team of operatives engaged them in a gun duel.
“The superior fire power of the police operatives made the suspected kidnappers to abandon the victims. However, two of the suspects were apprehended. They are Mohammed Ishaku, 25 and Mubarak Wada, 26, while others escaped with bullet wounds into the thick forest.
“Three locally-made guns, two live cartridges, two cutlasses and some charms were also recovered from the suspects.”
The PPRO said three of the kidnapped victims conveying the corpse were rescued alongside two other victims earlier kidnapped, adding that all the rescued victims had been taken to a hospital for medical attention.
He said efforts were ongoing to arrest other fleeing gang members.