Joint security operation: Ondo Police, Amotekun, hunters, vigilantes rescue Kidnap victim, nab four By Binta Haroon 

Joint security operation: Ondo Police, Amotekun, hunters, vigilantes rescue Kidnap victim, nab four

By Binta Haroon 

A swift security operation by the Ondo State Police Command has led to the rescue of a 26-year-old kidnapped woman and the arrest of four suspected abductors in Owo, bringing relief to residents concerned about rising criminal activities in the area.

The victim, identified as Ogechi John, was allegedly kidnapped on Monday along the Emure–Akure Expressway near Gozako Filling Station in Owo Local Government Area.

According to the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, the abductors arrived in an ash-coloured Toyota Camry without registration numbers and forcefully whisked the woman away before fleeing to an unknown destination.

Following the incident, the police launched a coordinated operation involving officers of the Command, operatives of the Amotekun Corps, local hunters, and vigilante groups.

Security personnel immediately secured strategic entry and exit points in Owo and neighbouring communities, while patrol and tactical teams combed nearby forests and suspected escape routes in search of the victim and her abductors.

The operation recorded a major breakthrough when the suspected getaway vehicle was discovered abandoned in a bush at Ojana, Owo.

Acting on intelligence gathered during the investigation, police operatives arrested four suspects identified as Friday Shola, 27; Friday Monday, 21; Osho Joseph, 24; and Lawal Mariam.

The suspects were reportedly found in possession of a woman’s motorcycle believed to be connected to the ongoing investigation.

Police said preliminary interrogation revealed that the abandoned Toyota Camry had allegedly been handed over to a herbalist, Lawal Lucky, who resides on Idimepe Street, Owo.

The suspect is currently at large.

The Command disclosed that sustained pressure on the suspects and intelligence-driven operations eventually led to the successful rescue of the victim, who has since been reunited with her family and is receiving necessary support.

DSP Jimoh said efforts were ongoing to apprehend other fleeing suspects and unravel the full circumstances surrounding the abduction.

Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police in Ondo State, CP Felix Ohagwu, commended the professionalism and swift response of officers involved in the operation.

He reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to protecting lives and property across the state, assuring residents that criminal elements would not be allowed to operate freely in Ondo State.

The Commissioner also urged members of the public to remain vigilant and continue providing credible and timely information to security agencies to support crime prevention and investigation efforts.

He stressed that all individuals connected to the crime would be tracked down and prosecuted in accordance with the law.