Three young men, said to have gone to perform some sacrifice at Ajalli River, in Ezeagu Local Council of Enugu State, were, on Saturday, kidnapped by suspected herdsmen.
   
One of the victims, reportedly, escaped from captivity in the wee hours of Sunday morning, while the rest were rescued late Sunday night.  A community leader, who confirmed the development, explained: “We got the information Sunday morning, after the man escaped from the den of kidnappers. Thankfully, he ran into some operatives of the Forest Guard, who ensured the rest of the victims were freed that same Sunday. They were rescued close to the RCC office, along the Enugu-Onitsha expressway.”

He added: “They had gone to Ajalli to perform sacrifices. It is what our people do. But, what they never envisaged was that the criminals were lurking around in the forest. So, they kidnapped them and marched them into the forest from where the other person escaped. We thank God for their safety. We thank our security men. They are doing well. Without them, the police cannot operate successfully in this state.”
    
In a viral video shared by vigilantes in the area, the escaped victim, identified as Chiemelie, said: “They were leaving the river after performing their sacrifice when they were accosted, and their motorbike taken away from them by the gunmen. They are Fulani people. But they were mixing their Fulani with Hausa language. They marched us across the river and further into the forest, swinging their AK-47 rifles.
  
“I escaped when they asked us to lie down for two hours. Two of them chased me but I continued and jumped into the muddy river. I stayed inside the river for as long as I could, until they turned back. I believe it was God that saved me.”
   
IN a related development, operatives of the Enugu State Police Command (Hawk Tactical Squad) rescued some Abuja-bound travellers who had been kidnapped along Ette road, in Igbo-Eze North Local Council.

It had been reported, about two weeks ago, that passengers in some commercial buses travelling to and from Abuja were abducted.
Also, on December 19, 2023, at about 10:00 a.m., following credible information, operatives rescued four kidnapped victims (three males and one female) in a forest at Agbogazi-Nike, Enugu East Local Council.

The rescue came barely an hour after their abduction. Spokesperson of the Enugu State Police Command, Daniel Ndukwe, said the hoodlums, upon sighting the operatives, opened fire. The police, however, returned fire, neutralising one of the hoodlums, while others escaped with gunshot wounds.
 
He said one AK-47 rifle loaded with 19 rounds of live ammunition was recovered, while a manhunt to fish out the fleeing suspects was ongoing. Ndukwe said the Commissioner of Police, Kanayo Uzuegbu, reiterated commitment of the command to deal with unrepentant criminals in Enugu State. He also lauded efforts of the operatives, urging them to ensure the fleeing miscreants are apprehended.

The CP enjoined citizens of the state to remain law-abiding, vigilant, supportive, and report individuals with gunshot wounds to the nearest police station.