OVER 12 people, including a nine-year-old girl, were allegedly kidnapped between 6 and 7 p.m. on Tuesday along the Auchi-Ihievbe-Afuze Road, which connects Etsako West and Owan East local government areas in Edo state.
When Vanguard called Police Public Relations Officer Chidi Nwabuzor, he said the state command headquarters was waiting for a comprehensive report from the Divisional Police Officer in the area before commenting on the matter.
Though an anonymous resident in the area claimed that nine people were kidnapped and two people escaped, a viral video showed three abandoned vehicles on the roadside. One was a Mercedes ML 320 Jeep with the registration number AGD 542 GU that had no occupants and the doors were open, another was a Toyota Sienna van with the registration number Kogi LKJ 464 YE, and there was no close-up image of the third car, whose occupants the voice indicated had escaped.
According to the male voice, members of the local vigilante organization have explored the woodland and bush in the locality, Warrake, and nearby communities in an attempt to rescue the victims.
The victims, including a child of roughly nine years old, were reportedly kidnapped in a sienna bus.
“The passengers were ambushed with some of them escaping, including a woman who managed to escape but was unable to bring her daughter, who is said to be about 9 years old.”
“Ihievbe-Afuze vigilantes are said to be in the bush on the trail of the kidnappers.”
“The Auchi Afuze road is known as a notorious route for kidnappers, but the situation was curtailed with the presence of soldiers and local vigilantes prior to the current resurgence,” according to the audio record.
