Police Discovers Kidnapped Redeemed Pastors Hideout, Name Victims

Police in Ogun State have named the five pastor allegedly abducted by gunmen suspected to be kidnappers at J3/J4 Area, Ogbere, along Benin-Ijebu-Ode-Sagamu Expressway.

The Police Public Relations (PPRO) of the state police command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the abducted persons were traveling from the eastern part of the country when their commercial bus was blocked around 3.30p.m on Thursday by the gunmen at a location shortly after the boundary between Ogun and Ondo states.

“On getting to J3 Area of Ogbere, some hoodlums numbering about ten, suddenly came out of the forest and forcefully stopped the vehicle. And five amongst the passengers namely Chidioze Eluwa, Chiemela  Iroha, Okoro Ohowukwe, Ndubuizi Owuabueze and Ibeleji Chidinma were abducted and taken into the forest.

“Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Bashir Makama, is personally leading the operation to rescue the victims with operatives from the command’s tactical squads combing the entire area.

“The hideout of the hoodlums has been geo-located but our men are trying to be tactical and professional in order not to jeopardize the lives of the victims; we are making efforts to rescue.

“With the operation going on presently, we are rest assured that the victims will soon regain their freedom and the hoodlums will definitively be brought to book,” Oyeyemi said in a statement on Friday.

Oyeyemi, however, said the Commissioner of Police in the state, Bashir Makama, has personally led the police rescue team to the location.

He added that the police have been able to survey the forest and the possible hideout of the abductors aerially, with the aid of the police helicopter from the police headquarters in Abuja.

According to him, the rescue team was getting close to the location of the kidnappers, saying caution would be exercised by the team in order not to jeopardise the lives of the victims during the rescue operation.