Couple and Four Others Kidnapped Near Kwara-Kogi Border

A couple and four other people have been kidnapped along the Eruku-Iyemero Road, which connects Kwara and Kogi states.

The couple, named Funmilayo Bamidele and Abiodun David, were taken on Saturday evening. They were returning from their engagement ceremony in Eruku, Kwara State, as reported by Channels Television.

The victims were in a vehicle that was supposed to use the Isanlu Road. But the driver took a different route to drop off the best man and other group members in Iyamoye, Kogi State.

The vehicle was stopped by suspected bandits along the Iyemero-Eruku Road, where the occupants were kidnapped.

PREMIUM TIMES learned that the location of the other victims and more details about the kidnapping were still unknown as of Sunday.

Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, confirmed the incident. He said security agencies have started a joint operation to rescue the victims and catch the kidnappers, according to Channels Television.

Mr Ojo mentioned that soldiers are already searching the bush for the victims and their abductors. He added that the vehicle used by the victims was later found parked at an abandoned police station in Ayetoro, Ekiti State.

The commissioner noted that police from Kwara, Kogi, and Ekiti states are working together on the rescue operation. This is because the incident happened in areas near the borders of the three states.

This kidnapping is part of a series of such incidents reported in Kwara State in recent weeks. The latest case adds to the worrying trend of kidnappings in communities across Kwara State, raising fears over the increasing insecurity and its effects on residents and travelers along the border areas.