Men of the Oyo State Police Command, on Tuesday rescued the abducted staff of Polaris Bank, Babatunde Dauda, and a palmwine tapper, Oluwaseun Oluokun, who were said to have been kidnapped on Monday.
Dauda and Oluokun were among the five people who were said to have been kidnapped by some gunmen along the Ibadan-Ijebu Ode Road.
It was learnt that herdsmen, numbering about seven, wielding sophisticated rifles and shooting sporadically into the air, had attacked their victims around Ibuso Gbooro, close to Dally Junction, by a quarry site, at about 7am.
A source said the Fulani gunmen, who mounted a blockade on the road, forced two Toyota Camry vehicles to a stop.
They reportedly picked two bankers working with Polaris and Wema Banks from one of the cars, telling the driver to get in contact with the victims’ families for the payment of ransom.
The bankers were reported to be on their way to their offices in Ijebu Ode, while the other car occupants were going to Ogbere, Ogun State.
They allegedly abducted two occupants of the second vehicle and a palm wine tapper who was on his way to tap wine on the farm.
It was learnt that the Divisional Police Officer and police personnel from Idi Ayunre in joint operation with the police tactical teams, the operatives of Anti-Kidnapping Squad, local vigilantes and hunters, Agbekoya and Amotekun Corps, combed the forest for the kidnappers and their victims.
They were able to rescue the victims (the Polaris Bank staff and the palm wine tapper) at Ogunmakin area, at about 1pm on Tuesday.
It was learnt that the victims were rescued without paying ransom, however the victims were said to have been beaten to a pulp by their captors.
Judging by the expended shells found at the scene of the incident, the security agents said that the kidnappers used AK-47 rifles and guns using cartridges.
It was learnt that the kidnappers had yet to contact the victims’ families for ransom as of Tuesday night, as they were unsettled by the police who were on their trail.
A source said that there was a similar kidnap incident along the Ijebu Ode Road during which three victims were abducted.
The source added that they were released after payment of N500,000 by two of the victims while the third victim was rescued by the police without any payment.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Olugbenga Fadeyi, said the police had been able to rescue two of the victims.
Fadeyi added that police operatives were still combing the forest in search of the remaining victims, and were also after the kidnappers for an arrest.
