The operatives of the Ondo State Police Command foiled a fresh kidnap attempt along the troubled Akure-Owo Expressway in the early hours of Wednesday, after engaging suspected gunmen in a fierce gun battle, killing two of them and forcing others to flee.
The police said the operation prevented the armed men from abducting the owner of a block industry in Ilu-Abo, a community along the Akure-Owo highway that has witnessed repeated security concerns in recent years.
According to the police, about seven gunmen stormed the premises of Olaiya Block Industry, located beside Ilu-Abo High School, at about 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday, demanding to see the business owner before security operatives responded.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Ondo State, Abayomi Jimoh, in a statement said officers attached to the Federal Highway Patrol Unit at Ilu-Abo swiftly mobilised to the scene after receiving a distress call.
“Acting swiftly on credible intelligence, the police patrol team mobilised to the scene, where the suspects engaged operatives in a fierce exchange of gunfire,” Mr Jimoh said.
