Gunmen kidnap family members in Kwara

Three members of a family including the wife and children of an overseas returnee have allegedly been abducted in Kwara State.

The incident, it was gathered, occurred in Okanle-Fajeromi community in Ifelodun Local Government Area, on Monday around 11:00 pm.

The gunmen allegedly invaded the community located near Idofian and kidnapped the victims while they were sleeping in their home.

It was gathered that the wife of a man identified as Sikiru Abiola who returned to the community from overseas about three years ago to practice farming, and his two sons were forcefully taken away by the abductors.

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The Olugbense of Okanle who is the Bale (head) of the community, Alhaji Abdulfatai Olasunkanmi, confirmed the incident.

He said the gunmen arrived at the community at about midnight on Monday when the villagers were already asleep and invaded the house of Alhaji Sikiru and kidnapped the victims.

He said the vigilantes in the town responded to the alarm raised by Alhaji Sikiru Abiola.

The Bale said, “One of the vigilantes was shot in the leg during a gun duel with the kidnappers and had since been rushed to the hospital. But one of the abducted members of the family was rescued.”

The spokesman for the Kwara State Police Command, SP Ajayi Okasanmi, confirmed the incident Wednesday evening.

Okasannmi said, “The matter was reported today (Wednesday) and operatives in collaboration with other security agencies have been deployed to comb the bush.

“Till now, the abducted people have not been rescued from the kidnappers but our men are on their trails and we hope that they will be rescued.”