>
Men of the Oyo State Police Command have recovered corpses of one soldier and a civilian from a forest in Ibadan, while searching for a foreigner kidnapped in the city on Wednesday.
The command’s Police Public Relations Officer(PPRO), SP Olugbenga Fadeyi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday evening.
He added that an Army Lieutenant and a Civil Defence personnel also sustained gun shot wounds during an exchange of gunfire between the kidnappers and security operatives.
“On 12/12/2020 at about 1723 hrs,one Hassan Mills ‘m’ of Panorama farm, Mekun, Oke Alaro area of Ibadan was abducted at the entrance of his farm by unknown gunmen who shot sporadically before taking him away into the forest.
“In a swift response,the DPO Oke Alaro, combed the forest with a view to rescue the victim from his captors and also arrest the culprits.
“Consequent upon this, a team of Operation Burst which was invited by the company arrived the area and proceeded to the forest. Not too long, one Army Lieutenant sustained gunshot injury on his right lap, and immediately taking to the hospital while the Personal Assistant to the victim who was also abducted escaped during exchange of gunfire,” Fadeyi said.
The PPRO added: “On 13/12/2020, two corpses of one soldier and a civilian were recovered from the forest while a civil defence personnel also sustained gun shot injury after a search in the forest. It is worthy of note that movement of these foreign nationals most of the time are not known to the Police authority in the State to enable professional advice to be given appropriately.
“Also, negotiation with the captors are also concealed from the Police. Meanwhile, effort have been intensified to arrest the hoodlums and also rescue the victim.”
He urged well meaning and good people of Oyo State with useful and credible information as to the whereabout of the kidnappers and victim to furnish the Police in the state for rescue operation to be carried out immediately.