No fewer than 10 travellers were reportedly abducted by gunmen on the Owo-Ipele-Benin highway in Ondo State. The incident, which occurred on Tuesday, has sent shockwaves across the state, with families of the victims in distress as kidnappers have reportedly demanded ransom.
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According to sources, the travellers were coming from a state in the South-South region and heading towards Akure, the Ondo State capital, when the gunmen ambushed their vehicle. The commercial vehicle was later found abandoned by the roadside, prompting other drivers to raise the alarm.
A source who spoke to Vanguard revealed that the gunmen ordered the passengers out of the vehicle and marched them into the forest. “The hoodlums ambushed them and whisked all the occupants of the vehicle into the bush. All the occupants were abducted, and nobody has heard anything about them since then,” the source said.
The Ondo State Police Command, through its spokesperson, Funmi Odunlami, confirmed the incident but stated that seven persons were abducted. Odunlami disclosed that the police received a report about the attack and immediately deployed security operatives to the scene.
“The Police received information that a vehicle was attacked on the Owo/Ifon Road, and seven people were suspected to have been abducted. Security operatives moved to the scene, combed the area for possible rescue of the victims, and are conducting a search-and-rescue operation for the abductees,” she said.
Sources close to the families of the victims revealed that the kidnappers have established contact and demanded ransom for the release of the abducted travellers. The gunmen reportedly threatened to harm the victims if the ransom is not paid promptly.
In a related development, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) is set to hold its much-anticipated National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting from Wednesday, February 5th to Friday, February 7th, 2025, at the International Cultural and Event Centre, The Dome, in Akure.
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