Gunmen kidnap police officer, four others in Edo

There was pandemonium in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State as kidnappers stormed the area and abducted no fewer than five persons, including a police officer.

It was gathered that abductions have become a daily routine in the Local Government Council to a point that the council authority and the traditional rulers imposed a curfew from 9p.m. to 6a.m. daily.

The first two were reportedly taken away at the Makeke Primary Health Centre, where the gunmen were said to have abducted Tope Oriloye, a female secondary school student and Samuel Ilesanmi, who had rushed his son to the health centre with his wife on February 8, while the other happened at residence of a Police Inspector, Segun Obanowa in Auchi from Uma/Imoga, where he was kidnapped alongside his wife and daughter.

His wife was, however, later released to go and arrange for ransom to free her husband and daughter.

The National Coordinator, Movement for the Advancement of Akoko Edo People, Bode Ekundayo, in a statement in Benin on Wednesday, said the kidnappers, who abducted Oriloye and Ilesanmi had already contacted the family, asking for N100 million ransom for both of them.

He said: “Daring kidnappers struck again in Akoko Edo, this time at Makeke village, less than a kilometre from Ososo in the eastern part of Akoko Edo, taking away a secondary school female student, Tope Oriloye and Samuel Ilesanmi on February 8, at the community health centre.

“In a similar operation in Auchi, kidnappers invaded the residence of Police Inspector, Segun Obanowa from Uma/Imoga in Akoko Edo and kidnapped him, his wife and daughter, later releasing his wife to go look for ransom to free her husband and daughter.”

The state police command also confirmed the incident.