JUST IN: Police Rescue Five Kidnap Victims After Gun Battle on Benin-Ore Road

Five victims abducted by suspected kidnappers along the Benin-Ore expressway have been rescued by security operatives following a gun battle with the criminals.

POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the victims regained freedom less than 24 hours after they were taken by the kidnappers at Ogbere, a notorious axis along the busy expressway.

The victims were reportedly abducted on Thursday while travelling from Benin to Ibadan and Lagos.

According to accounts from the victims, the kidnappers intercepted multiple vehicles on the highway and forcefully took away passengers into a nearby forest.

The victims disclosed that those abducted were passengers from three Sienna buses travelling along the route.

Security sources said the incident triggered an immediate response from law enforcement agencies due to the growing concerns over insecurity along the Benin-Ore corridor, a route that has repeatedly witnessed attacks by criminal gangs.

A joint task force involving operatives of the Nigeria Police Force from Ogun and Lagos commands launched a coordinated operation after receiving intelligence on the kidnappers’ movement.

The rescue operation was carried out on Friday.

During the operation, security operatives engaged the kidnappers in a fierce gun duel deep inside the forest where the victims were being held.

The exchange of gunfire reportedly forced the kidnappers to retreat into the bush, abandoning some of their captives in the process.

Five victims were successfully rescued during the operation.

However, police authorities said efforts are ongoing to track down the fleeing suspects and ensure their arrest.