Some members of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Oke Igan, Akure, Ondo State capital, have been kidnapped.
The worshippers, according to the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Ondo, SP Olufunmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, were abducted by some yet-to-be identified gunmen while travelling for a burial ceremony at Ifon in Ose Local Government Area of the state.
Odunlami-Omisanya noted that the CAC worshippers were whisked away on Friday, September 29, 2023.
“Yesterday afternoon, the police were informed that a church bus with the inscription CAC was abandoned around Elegbeka area and there are suspicions that the passengers in the vehicle were kidnapped.
“The Police Anti-kidnapping squad and other tactical teams have been deployed to the area to rescue the victims and arrest all involved in the crime,” Odunlami-Omisanya was quoted as saying in a statement.
Also speaking on the incident, a family member of one of the abductees who pleaded anonymity said that the worshippers were kidnapped at Elegbeka after Ifon in the Ose council area while travelling for a burial ceremony.
“The vehicle conveying the kidnapped members who are choir members was seen abandoned by the roadside,” the woman said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Owo-Ifon has been a nightmare for motorists due to incessant cases of kidnapping and armed robbery on the route.
Meanwhile, in what would have been a similar incident, Ogun Police Command had denied rumours that three students of Salawu Abiola Comprehensive High School, Osiele, Abeokuta, the state capital, were kidnapped.
The command spokesperson, Omolola Odutola, made the clarification in a statement made available to journalists.
Odutola, who described the report as misleading and capable of creating panic, enjoined members of the public to disregard the report.