The Yoruba nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, on Saturday disclosed that the woman kidnapped in Igbope, Oorelope Local Government Area of Oyo State, alongside her son, had been rescued in Kwara State.
Igboho is also the founder of the Iru Ekun Security Network.
He said his team, with the support of the Intelligence Response Team of the Nigeria Police Force, engaged the kidnappers in a fierce gun battle in the early hours of Saturday, securing the freedom of the victims, Adijat Kubura Aliqlas and Abdulmalik.
A statement from Igboho’s media office said the success of the operation, which lasted about three days, was a result of intelligence gathering and tracking, adding that the abductors were lured with ransom.
It further stated that the abductors escaped with bullet wounds and abandoned their captives in the forest.
The statement read, “Myself and my team members, with ASP Amos Ajegoke, including policemen, have been in the forest for days tracking the movement of the hoodlums to ascertain their location. But on July 2, we discovered that they were at Bode Sadu before Jebba. We moved there and remained there till Friday night.
“Around 12:00 a.m. (on Saturday), they came to collect the ransom as we had agreed. But we attacked them in the forest and there was an exchange of gunshots. We subsequently gave them a hot chase and combed the forest. They fled. Later, we found out that they had abandoned Adijat Kubura and Abdulmalik.
“We heard their voices shouting for help and were able to locate where the voices were coming from and rescued them. They are currently in Igboho General Hospital receiving medical attention.
“It is crucial to say this operation and its success were made possible with the valuable support of the Inspector General of Police, Tunji Disu, who was communicating with the Commissioners of Police in Kwara and Niger states, thus making the strenuous and arduous task fruitful after days and nights inside forests,” the statement added.
Igboho, however, restated his commitment to the protection of lives and property, assuring the people of Oke-Ogun and Oyo State that every lawful effort would continue to be deployed in support of peace and security.
While encouraging Nigerians to remain calm and support legitimate security efforts to tackle criminality, Igboho advised that spreading unverified information that could create unnecessary fear should be avoided.
