A housewife, whose name could not be immediately ascertained, was in the early hours of Monday abducted in Odeomu, along Osogbo-Gbongan Road in Osun State.
The abductors, who have since demanded N5m ransom, it was learnt, attacked a vehicle conveying the woman and members of her family around 3am on Monday.
A security source, who did not want his name in print because he has not been authorised to speak on the matter, while speaking with PUNCH Metro on the incident, said the vehicle conveying the victim and others believed to be her relations, left Ago Owu earlier and was going to Ikirun when they ran into a barricade mounted by gunmen around the Oogi Ojudo area, in Odeomu around 3am.
He added that after collecting the phones of the driver said to be the victim’s husband and those of other occupants of the vehicle, the abductors took the woman into the bush.
The Coordinator of the Oodua Peoples Congress in Oogi town, Tosin Oluronbi, who was part of the rescue operation, said the abductors had already contacted relations of the woman and demanded N5m ransom.
Oluronbi said, “I was informed around 4am that a robbery operation was going on along Odeomu-Oogi Road. As the youth leader of Oogi and also the OPC coordinator in the town, I responded immediately by calling police operatives attached to Oogi Highway Patrol and we went to the scene.
“On getting to the place, we met the driver, who told us that they were coming from the Odeomu end, and along the road, he observed a barricade, and saw about three people standing nearby. He added that the attackers collected N33,000, the passengers had on them, their phones and also abducted his wife.
“Ode-Omu Police Team, Highway Patrol from Osogbo, Sekona and Anti-kidnapping team were present at the scene too and we immediately entered the bush, but we are yet to find the woman. “While we were still searching, a family member of the victim from Ikirun called and said the abductors have demanded N5m ransom.”
The spokesperson for the state police command, Yemisi Opalola, confirmed the incident, adding that efforts were ongoing to rescue the victim unhurt.
Punch
