Kwara Police foreclose payment of ransom for kidnap victims

The Kwara State Police Command, yesterday, foreclosed any negotiation for payments of ransom to kidnappers in the state.

Spokesman of the command, Superintendent Ajayi Okasanmi, told The Guardian in Ilorin that the command, in collaborations with local vigilance group and members of the public, would continue to make the state
uninhabitable for kidnappers.

Okasanmi spoke while reacting to the killing of two suspected kidnappers in the Obbo-Ile/Osi/Koro forest in Ekiti Council of the state.

The suspects had kidnapped six persons, mainly politicians, including a female, on their way from an event in Ilorin, the state capital.

But a combined team of the local hunters and men of the anti- kidnapping team of the state Police Command swung into action, combing the forest and in the process, engaged the suspects in a gun duel that lasted about an hour.

In the process, two of the kidnapped victims, including the Women Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Koro Ward of the council, Mrs. Olumo Abolaji, who were used by the suspects as human shield died from stray bullets, just as the squad killed two kidnap suspects.

The state Commissioner of Police (CP), Tuesday Assayomo, ordered a manhunt for persons with bullet wounds in any hospital or traditional healing home who might likely be some of the fleeing suspects from the scene.

Okasanmi added that the kidnappers were given a hot chase, which led to their abandonment of Zainab Abu of Saki town in Oyo State and two of her children. One of the attacked vehicles, a Mazda Primacy marked: AFN 504 MG was taken to the station for safekeeping.

“However, search and rescue operation of the remaining victims continued in Obbo-Ile Isapa forest, where the kidnappers were sighted and engaged in exchange of gun fire.”

“In the process, two of the kidnappers were neutralized, while Rachael Alabi of Obbo-Ile, Yemisi Oni of Eruku, Azeez Akeem and Olarewaju Muritala both of Ero-Omo Offa Garage, Ilorin, were rescued, just as the operatives were still making efforts to arrest the remaining kidnappers, who escaped with bullet wounds.

While commiserating with the families of the deceased victims, the CP assured Kwara people of his determination to ensure that the fleeing suspects are apprehended, adding: “No stone will be left unturned in ensuring the safety and security of the people.”