A group of gunmen believed to be kidnappers reportedly kidnapped about 25 members of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) in Akure, the state capital, on Friday afternoon.
The victims, who were said to be traveling to Ifon, in the Ose local government area of the state, for a burial ceremony, were stopped by the suspect kidnappers, who whisked them away.
The victims, according to a source who clarified the situation, were passengers in the church bus and were part of the Oke Igan branch of CAC in Akure.
The source further clarified that the kidnapped church members were heading to a program in the state’s Ose Council area.
She added that the victims were taken captive at approximately 3 p.m. on Friday, with some of the victims left by the side of the road and others being transported by the choir’s vehicle.
The state police command in Akure, in a statement while reacting to the incident, appealed for calm. The State Police spokesperson, Funmi Odunlami, said in a statement, “There are suspicions that the passengers in the vehicle were kidnapped, and the Police anti-kidnapping squad and other tactical teams have been deployed to the area to rescue the victims and arrest all involved in the crime”.
She promised to furnish the public with information on the progress made in ongoing rescue efforts.