The Nigeria Police Force in Ondo State says it has rescued 12 passengers abducted by suspected kidnappers after two commercial buses were attacked in Isua Akoko, headquarters of Akoko South-East Local Government Area.
The victims were reportedly travelling from Benue State to Ibadan in Oyo State when armed men intercepted the vehicles in the early hours of Saturday and forced several passengers into a nearby forest.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Ondo State Police Command, Abayomi Jimoh, said the command received a distress call around 1:30am and immediately launched a coordinated rescue operation involving police operatives, local hunters and other security stakeholders.
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According to him, the attackers ambushed two commercial Hummer buses conveying passengers along the route before marching some of the occupants into the bush.
“The command received a distress report at about 0130hrs that two commercial Hummer buses conveying passengers from Benue State en route Ibadan had been violently intercepted by suspected armed kidnappers,” Jimoh said.
He explained that security operatives commenced an intensive bush-combing exercise across forests and difficult terrains surrounding the area while intelligence teams tracked the fleeing suspects.
“The sustained pressure mounted by the combined security team yielded significant success as 12 kidnapped victims, including the drivers of the affected buses, were successfully rescued alive,” the police spokesman added.
The rescued victims have since been taken to hospital for medical attention and psychological support, while arrangements are being made to reunite them with their families.
Police authorities, however, said efforts were ongoing to rescue other victims believed to still be in captivity and arrest those responsible for the attack.
The Commissioner of Police in Ondo State, Felix Ohagwu, was also said to have visited the scene of the incident where he met with community leaders, vigilante groups and local security stakeholders.
According to the command, additional tactical and intelligence assets have been deployed to strengthen the rescue operation and support the ongoing manhunt for the kidnappers.
The latest incident has again raised concerns over increasing cases of abduction along major highways linking the South-West and North-Central regions of the country.
In recent months, travellers and transport operators have repeatedly expressed fears over attacks on highways passing through forested areas in parts of Ondo, Kogi, Edo and Ekiti states.
Security analysts have warned that kidnappers are increasingly targeting commercial vehicles transporting passengers between states, particularly during night journeys when roads are less busy and security presence is limited.
Residents of Akoko communities have also called for stronger security surveillance across vulnerable routes in the area, urging both federal and state authorities to intensify forest patrols and intelligence gathering.
The Ondo police command assured residents that security agencies remained committed to protecting lives and property and would continue coordinated operations until all victims were rescued and the suspects apprehended.
