A joint security team of police and local vigilante at the weekend secured the release of 11 kidnapped victims at Uteh forest, along Benin Bye pass in Edo State. The victims were identified as passengers traveling in two vehicles from Enugu, Ogoja to Lagos.
The Police Public Relations Officer of the Edo State Command, Kontongs Bello, explained that four of the rescued victims, among who is a military officer, were the first set of kidnapped victims last Monday traveling from Enugu to Lagos.
The victims said they were ambushed by the kidnappers at about 2.00am at the Ute road of the Benin bye pass, adding that the driver defied warnings not to pass through the route known to be scene of frequent kidnapping.
The second batch of rescued victims were said to be traveling from Ogoja, Cross River State, to Lagos. they were kidnapped on Friday morning, after they had slept overnight at a hotel in Benin before continuing their journey.
The police said that the kidnappers escaped during exchange of gunfire. Items recovered from the fleeing kidnappers were listed to include fake guns made with wood, one cutlass, dagger and two mobile phones. The security operatives are still in the manhunt of the Kidnappers.