Security operatives have rescued three students of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, who were abducted in Edo State, as well as seven travellers kidnapped along a highway in Plateau State.
In Edo, the students were rescued following a gun battle between security personnel and suspected kidnappers in Esan West Local Government Area.
The spokesperson for the Edo State Police Command, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Eno Ikoedem, said the victims—Favour Okoroje, 21, Balogun Precious, 19, and Praise Obagbalu—were abducted on 12 July from Ujemen G.T. Extension in Ekpoma and taken into a nearby forest.
According to her, a joint security team tracked the suspects to their hideout on 14 July, where a gunfight ensued. One suspected kidnapper was killed, another was arrested and the remaining suspects fled, leaving the victims behind.
Ikoedem disclosed that a 300-level AAU student, Peter Ekpen Adolor, 24, was shot dead while attempting to open the gate of the students’ residence during the abduction.
She added that efforts were ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects.
Meanwhile, troops of Operation Enduring Peace rescued seven travellers who were abducted along the Riyom highway in Plateau State after responding to a distress call on Monday night.
The operation’s spokesperson, Captain Polycarp Oteh, said troops discovered an abandoned Opel Vectra near Sopp village and immediately launched a search operation.
He said the troops eventually confronted the kidnappers, who fled into the surrounding bush under pressure.
The rescued victims, who were travelling from Akwanga in Nasarawa State to Jos, were freed unharmed.
Oteh said troops had intensified efforts to track down and arrest the fleeing suspects.
