Three years old, 33 other abducted victims, rescued in Edo

The Uronigbe Divisional Headquarters of the Edo State Police Command, in Orhihonwon Local Government Area, on 13/08/2022 rescued 34 kidnapped victims, 32 of them were mostly children, along the Benin-Agbor Expressway.

The Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Jennifer U. Iwegbu, said the rescue operation followed credible information received from members of the public that at about 1806hrs of 12/08/2022 hoodlums suspected to be kidnappers emerged from the bush along the Agbor/ Uronigbe/Obiaruku expressway and kidnapped occupants of a Toyota Hiace bus travelling from Agbor to Warri, with reg number DT513B2 conveying football players of Itugbe Kings Club, Warri Delta state and whisked them into the bush.

“On receipt of the information, the Divisional Police Officer immediately mobilised his team of police operatives in collaboration with the Military, local Vigilantes and the tactical team from Delta State Police Command at the state boundary and swung into action.

“The combined team embarked on rigorous bush combing which lasted for several hours resulting in the rescue of 32 of the victims unhurt.

“While they were been profiled to ensure that all were rescued, it was discovered that 5 were still missing. Intense bush combing is ongoing to rescue the other five victims unhurt”, Iwegbu said.

She stated that the hoodlums had earlier attacked the two occupants of one Toyota Corolla car with reg number EDL642DL, travelling from Bayelsa to Agbor, one of the occupants, Ibegu Daguapu ‘m’ was shot in his right shoulder. “The victim is receiving treatment at the medical facility”, she said.

Meanwhile, the Edo State Commissioner of Police, CP Abutu Yaro, has assured all good people of Edo State, that the command under his watch would not relent on its responsibility of protecting life and Property while thanking the general public for always providing the police with prompt and credible information.

The CP, Iwegbu said, further employs the citizenry to continue to partner with the Police, as all viable and prompt information would be treated with the utmost seriousness it deserves.