Residents of Ondo state were in a state of tension on Saturday following the alleged kidnapping of a number of passengers by suspected armed kidnappers when they boarded two commercial buses carrying passengers from Benue State to Ibadan in the state, which were rescued by security operatives in a violent operation that occurred overnight.
The attack happened in the early hours of Saturday at Isua-Akoko in Akoko South-East Local Government Area, once again highlighting concerns over the insecurity of the highways and the highway hostage-taking by kidnappers across parts of the country.
The Ondo State Police Command said the passengers of the two commercial Hiace buses were travelling the two vehicles on the high road when the gunmen attacked, hijacking the vehicles and throwing some of the passengers in a nearby forest.
DSP Abayomi Jimoh, the Police Public Relations Officer in a statement said the command received a distress call about 1.30am at which point they immediately directed a coordinated rescue effort with the police operatives, local hunters, vigilante groups and other security stakeholders.
The rescue team promptly went to the surrounding forests and hard-to-reach areas where the victims are thought to be taken hostage, he said.
When they arrived, the rescue team started its intensive bush-combing search through the surrounding forests and hard terrain where the victims were thought to have taken them, Jimoh said.
The police spokesman said intelligence-led surveillance and strategic tracking operations are also underway to track the fleeing kidnappers and free the victims.
After the security outfit put up a stout defence, a breakthrough eventually came which resulted in the rescue of 12 persons who had been kidnapped, including the drivers of the affected buses.
The rescued victims are being provided with the medical attention and support they require and efforts are underway to bring them back to their families, the statement continued.
As tactical teams upped their efforts to track down any other victims thought to be still held hostage, the operation continued deep into the surrounding forests, security sources said.
The Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Felix Ohagwu, who reportedly visited the scene of the incident shortly after the rescue operation, held emergency talks with local community, community vigilant, and other stakeholders in the area.
The police chief emphasized the need for ongoing efforts between the security forces and local communities to address kidnapping and other violent offenses that pose growing risks on rural and inter-state roads during the meeting.
Ohagwu also commended the gallantry of those police operatives, hunters and local security operatives who participated in the operation, expressing the need for their quick response in the success of the rescue mission.
They encouraged the people to be alert and to give timely intelligence which can be used to assist current operations and help prevent further attacks.
The latest attack comes as part of mounting worries about the safety of interstate travellers, particularly on fragile tracks between the South-West and North-Central areas, where criminals are increasingly abducting commuters.
The Ondo rescue operation for the majority of Nigerians may have been a case of a respite for some families, but it has also been a further reminder to the security challenges facing the average Nigerians who are on the roads.
