Police confirm abduction of 25 members of choir church by gunmen, say eight escape
Police Command in Ondo has confirmed that eight members of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) choir were able to escape when gunmen ambushed their bus along the Owo/Ose axis of the state abducting an initial 25 persons.
Following the escape of eight choristers from the attackers, 17 members of the church choir now remain with the gunmen.
Ondo Police Command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, who confirmed the attack on members of the church choir, also added that choristers they were rescued by police operatives.
“Eight victims rescued; effort is on to rescue others, unhurt.
“The rescued victims said they are members of CAC Oke Igann, Akure.
“They were on their way to a burial wake, on getting to Ajagbale via Elegbeka on ifon/ Owo expressway they, were accosted by five unknown gunmen who shot sporadically and forcefully took them in to the bush,” the police image-maker noted.
The mobile phones of the escapees were confiscated by the marauders.
It would be recalled that 25 choristers were reportedly waylaid on Friday afternoon while on their way for a funeral outing at the home of a member’s parent’s burial in Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State.
Reports say the victims, who are members of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Oke Igan, Akure, were about 25.
They were reportedly abducted on Friday afternoon while journeying along the notoriously deplorable Ifon road.
The vehicle said to be conveying the kidnapped choir members was later seen abandoned on the roadside by the kidnappers after herding the victims into the woods.
The Owo-Ifon-Benin road has been in the news over time for ominous kidnap cases.
In 2020, the marauders shot dead a prominent traditional ruler in Ondo State, Oba Israel Adeusi, who was the Olufon of Ifon.
Oba Adeusi was returning to his town from Akure, the Ondo State capital, where he had gone for a meeting with other top traditional rulers in the state, when he was ambushed and killed.
