The Ekiti State Police Command says its operatives, in collaboration with the military, Amotekun Corps, and local vigilantes, discovered a kidnappers’ den inside the forest between Irele-Ekiti in Ekiti State and Ogbe in Kogi State during a bush-combing operation. Two victims, Iorfa Solomon, 35, and Blessing Kingsley, 37, were rescued after being held hostage.
A statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Sunday Abutu, on Wednesday said the discovery was made during the operation.
“Upon sighting the operatives, the suspected kidnappers engaged them in a gun duel. In the process, one of the suspects was arrested, while other members of the gang escaped. Meanwhile, the two victims were rescued unharmed.
“Investigation revealed that the victims, Iorfa Solomon and Blessing Kingsley, were kidnapped while on duty at Aluta Bar, Ikoyi, in Kogi State, on June 4, 2026, at about 9:00 p.m.
“The victims narrated that the hoodlums, numbering about eight and armed with guns, surrounded them at the bar, shot sporadically into the air, and whisked them away into the forest, while other people at the bar managed to escape.
“During interrogation, the suspect, Abubakar Kabiru, confessed to the commission of the crime. He identified the two people rescued as their victims, while the victims also identified him as one of the hoodlums who kidnapped them.
“The suspect mentioned seven other members of his gang who are currently at large. Efforts are underway to arrest the fleeing members.
“The Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, CP Falade Adegoroye Michael, calls on everyone to be vigilant and security-conscious, and to support and cooperate with the police and other security agencies in the fight against crime and criminality in the state.”
Police rescue two kidnap victims, arrest suspect in Ekiti forest raid
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