In a harrowing incident on Friday, gunmen abducted 25 members of the choir from the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) in Oke-Igan, Akure, the capital of Ondo State. The victims had been en route to Ifon in the Ose Local Government Area to attend the funeral of a parent of one of their fellow choir members.
Sources within the church have revealed the deep distress and anguish that this abduction has caused among the affected families and the entire congregation. An anonymous source disclosed that the choir members had set out from Akure in a church-branded vehicle. However, the vehicle was later found abandoned at the side of the road in the Elegbeka community.
The Owo-Ifon-Benin road, where this distressing incident took place, has gained a notorious reputation as a hotspot for criminal activities such as kidnappings and armed robberies. This notoriety can be attributed in part to the deteriorating state of the road, which has made it a prime location for criminal operations.
The Ondo State Police Command has stepped forward to reassure the public of their unwavering commitment to ensuring the safe return of the kidnapped victims. The authorities were alerted when a church bus bearing the CAC insignia was discovered abandoned in the vicinity of Elegbeka, prompting strong suspicions of a kidnapping.
A spokesperson for the police stated, “The police anti-kidnapping squad and other tactical teams have been swiftly deployed to the area with the primary mission of rescuing the victims and apprehending all individuals involved in this heinous crime.”
