Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), in collaboration with Kwara State Forest Guards, local hunters, and vigilantes, have killed three suspected bandits and rescued nine abducted victims during a coordinated operation in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The intelligence-led raid took place across Obbo Aiyegunle, Ejiu Ora, and Osi communities, areas bordering Kwara and Ekiti states, where kidnappers were reportedly operating.
According to the Chief Press Secretary to the Ekiti LGA chairman, Dada Sunday, the victims, mainly farmers abducted from their farmlands and others kidnapped in neighbouring Ekiti State, were freed after security operatives engaged the assailants in a gun battle, forcing them to flee.
Sunday said the kidnappers, believed to be more than 10 in number, had gathered victims from different locations before the security team struck. One of the victims sustained serious head injuries after being attacked with a machete while resisting abduction.
A rescued victim, Umaru Muazu, recounted that he and his son were seized at gunpoint and forced into the bush, while another victim, Ibrahim Danga, said they had been held captive for some time before the rescue operation.
A member of the Kwara Forest Guards, Owolabi Adebayo, confirmed that the operation was driven by credible intelligence. He added that the suspects were heavily armed and called for improved equipment, including body armor and night-vision devices, to strengthen ongoing security efforts.
