The Ondo State Police Command has said it rescued two kidnapped persons and arrested three suspects in connection with the kidnapping in the Isua-Akoko area of Akoko South-East Local Government Area.
The command's spokesperson, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, stated this in a statement issued on Tuesday in Akure, saying security operatives also recovered N1.5 million, suspected to be ransom money.
He said the incident occurred on September 11, after the command received credible intelligence that some gunmen suspected to be kidnappers were hiding in a forest along the Ifira to Idoani road to collect ransom.
Jimoh said police operatives, in collaboration with Amotekun and Agbe-Koya operatives, stormed the forest, where they successfully rescued the kidnapped victims, namely Owolabi Patrick and Asoto Dada, without injury.
He added that the gunmen opened fire on the security operatives when they sighted them, but the operatives retaliated, which forced the suspected gunmen to flee into the forest.
According to the command, the police operatives later continued investigation and followed credible intelligence, which led to the discovery of some of the suspects on September 13 along the Idoani road.
During the operation, three persons were arrested, while two of them sustained gunshot wounds on their legs.
The suspects arrested are Abdullahi Abubakar, Ibrahim Abubakar and Oseni Abubakar, residents of the Akunnu area.
The command said the rescued persons later went to the police station, where they identified the arrested suspects as those who kidnapped them.
Also, the rescued persons confirmed that the Bajaj motorcycle recovered earlier by the police was connected to the kidnappers' activities.
The police command said it would continue to carry out surveillance and raids to prevent criminals from using forests and other hideouts in the state.