The 10 police personnel who were kidnapped by gunmen in Kogi State while returning from the just concluded Osun State governorship election have been rescued, said a police source.
The Divisional Police Officer in charge of Obajana Police Division reported that all 10 personnel were rescued unhurt.
They were rescued in a joint security combat search and rescue operation.
They were said to have been found and rescued around Jakura Village, Obajana.
They had since been rushed to the Police Clinic at Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, for medical checkup, while the joint security combat search and rescue team continues the hunt for the kidnappers.
The source said: “The DPO in charge of Obajana Police Station reported that on 20th July 2022, between the hours of 8:30pm and 11:40pm, all 10 kidnapped officers were successfully rescued unhurt in a joint security combat search and rescue operations.
“They were rescued around Jakura Village Obajana.
“All the victims were taken to the police clinic in Lokoja for medical checkups, while efforts are still on to arrest the kidnappers.”
It was earlier reported that the gunmen swooped on the policemen while they were fixing their vehicle after it developed a fault on July 17, 2022 at about 11:05pm.
The kidnapped policemen are attached to Nasarawa State Police Command.
Following the kidnapping of the policemen, the Anti-Kidnapping Team was deployed to the area to find the personnel.
Other policemen who escaped from the kidnappers were moved to a safer space.
The Divisional Police Officer in charge of Obajana Police Division on the date of the incident got information that sounds of gunshots were heard along New Bye Pass Road, close to Trailer Park – PTI Obajana, and he immediately mobilised Patrol Teams to the scene, where they met a white Baw 18 Seater passenger bus with registration No. GWA 295 YR, driven by Usman Abdullahi, with six occupants, who identified themselves as Police Officers from Nasarawa State Police Command returning from just concluded Osun State governorship election.
A source said: “The officers narrated that their vehicle developed a mechanical fault, which led them to drop out of their convoy, and while trying to fix the vehicle, armed men suddenly emerged from the bush, and forcefully kidnapped 10 officers.”
The Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Edward Egbuka, stated that although the convoy of the police personnel was attacked by gunmen, they were however not kidnapped.
Egbuka claimed that they scampered into the bush to avoid being kidnapped and that they had finally all been accounted for.
But according to available information, the policemen were kidnapped on July 17, 2022 and rescued on July 20, 2022.
