Ondo kidnapping incidents spark concern as gunmen abduct a community leader and a filling station attendant in separate attacks

Suspected gunmen have abducted a community leader and a female filling station attendant in separate attacks in Ondo State, prompting the deployment of police operatives to secure the victims’ release and apprehend those responsible.

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One of the victims, Sanni, popularly known as “Timber”, was reportedly kidnapped on Sunday evening at his residence in the Agbelere area of the Ilu-Abo community in Akure North Local Government Area.

According to eyewitness accounts, the attackers struck at about 7:10 p.m. shortly after Sanni returned home from work.

Witnesses said three armed assailants seized the community leader in the presence of his wife and two children before whisking him away to an unknown destination.

Residents alleged that the kidnappers had earlier laid an ambush in a nearby bush before carrying out the attack.

Confirming the incident, Olayinka Ayanlade, spokesperson for the Ondo State Police Command, said security personnel had been mobilised to the area.

Ayanlade disclosed that tactical teams and other police operatives had commenced efforts to rescue the victim and track down the perpetrators.

In a separate incident, a female filling station attendant was abducted by suspected gunmen in the Emure-Ile area of Owo Local Government Area during the early hours of Monday.

Sources familiar with the incident said the attackers forcefully took the victim from the area and fled to an unknown location.

Details surrounding the second abduction remained sketchy as of press time, while authorities continued investigations into the circumstances of the attack.

The latest Ondo kidnapping incidents have heightened concerns over security in parts of the state, particularly in rural communities that have witnessed sporadic cases of abduction in recent months.

Security agencies have intensified efforts to combat kidnapping and other violent crimes across the state, with residents urged to provide useful information that could assist ongoing rescue operations.

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Police authorities assured the public that all necessary measures were being taken to secure the release of the victims and bring those responsible to justice.