Security operatives overpower kidnappers during fierce gun battle along the Kwara-Ekiti border.
Three suspected bandits have been neutralised and nine kidnapped victims rescued during an intelligence-led operation by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The victims, who included farmers abducted from their farmlands and others seized in neighbouring Ekiti State, regained their freedom after the kidnappers fled under heavy gunfire, abandoning their captives.
The operation, which involved the Kwara State Forest Guards, local hunters and vigilantes, was carried out in the Obbo Aiyegunle, Ejiu Ora and Osi axis of Ekiti Local Government Area, along the Kwara-Ekiti border.
Confirming the development on Wednesday, the Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of Ekiti Local Government Area, Prince Dada Sunday, said intelligence gathered by security agencies led to the successful rescue mission.
According to him, the kidnappers, numbering more than 10, had assembled victims abducted from different locations before they were overwhelmed by the security operatives.
He disclosed that one of the victims sustained severe head injuries after being attacked with a machete while resisting abduction.
One of the rescued victims, Umaru Muazu of Obbo Aiyegunle, recounted his ordeal, saying armed men suddenly emerged and abducted him alongside his son.
“They came from nowhere and pointed a gun to my head. Four of them took me and my son. They also took my friend’s motorcycle before marching us into the bush,” he said.
Another rescued farmer, Ibrahim Danga, said the victims had been held captive before security operatives stormed the area and engaged the kidnappers in a gun battle.
A member of the Kwara Forest Guards, Owolabi Adebayo, described the operation as intelligence-driven and confirmed that three of the kidnappers were neutralised.
“We neutralised three of them and rescued nine victims. They were heavily armed and possessed different types of firearms. We need more operational equipment, including body armour, binoculars, night vision goggles, walkie-talkies and ammunition to effectively confront them,” he said.
Security operatives are continuing efforts to track down the fleeing suspects as authorities intensify measures to curb kidnapping and banditry along the border communities.