Kidnappers’ Forest Hideout Busted as Ekiti Security Team Rescues Two Victims, Arrests Suspect

Kidnappers’ Forest Hideout Busted as Ekiti Security Team Rescues Two Victims, Arrests Suspect

June 10, 2026

A coordinated security operation involving police officers, military personnel, Amotekun Corps operatives, and local vigilantes has led to the rescue of two kidnap victims and the arrest of a suspected kidnapper in a forest bordering Ekiti and Kogi states.

The operation, carried out during an intensive bush-combing exercise, uncovered a kidnappers’ hideout deep inside the forest corridor between Irele-Ekiti in Ekiti State and Ogbe in Kogi State, where the victims had been held captive for several days.

The rescued victims were identified as 35-year-old Iorfa Solomon and 37-year-old Blessing Kingsley. Both were reportedly abducted on June 4, 2026, while working at Aluta Bar in Ikoyi, Kogi State.

Confirming the development, the Ekiti State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, Sunday Abutu, disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday that security operatives stumbled upon the criminals’ den during an ongoing operation aimed at flushing out criminal elements from forests and remote areas along the Ekiti-Kogi border.

According to Abutu, the kidnappers opened fire immediately they sighted the advancing security team, leading to a fierce gun battle. However, the operatives successfully overpowered the criminals, arresting one suspect identified as Abubakar Kabiru, while other gang members fled into the forest.

“The Police operatives, in collaboration with the military, Amotekun Corps and local vigilantes, discovered a kidnappers’ hideout inside the forest between Irele-Ekiti and Ogbe in Kogi State, where two victims were being held hostage,” the statement said.

“Upon sighting the operatives, the kidnappers engaged them in a gun duel. During the exchange, one suspect was arrested while other members of the gang escaped. The two victims were rescued unhurt.”

Preliminary investigations revealed that Solomon and Kingsley were kidnapped at approximately 9:00 p.m. on June 4 when armed men stormed Aluta Bar, where they were on duty.

The victims recounted how about eight heavily armed hoodlums surrounded the premises, fired several gunshots into the air to create panic, and forcefully whisked them away into the forest. Other people present at the bar reportedly escaped during the attack.

During interrogation, the arrested suspect allegedly confessed to participating in the abduction and admitted being a member of the gang responsible for the crime.

Police said Kabiru identified the rescued victims as those kidnapped by his group, while the victims also positively identified him as one of the armed men who carried out the attack.

Investigators further revealed that the suspect provided information about seven other members of the criminal gang who remain at large. Security agencies have since launched a manhunt to track down and apprehend the fleeing suspects.

The successful rescue operation has been hailed as another significant breakthrough in the fight against kidnapping and other violent crimes in the region, particularly along border communities often targeted by criminal gangs.

Reacting to the development, the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Michael Falade, commended the joint security team for their courage and professionalism. He also urged residents to remain vigilant and continue supporting security agencies with credible information that could aid ongoing efforts to combat crime.

Falade reassured the public of the command’s commitment to ensuring the safety of lives and property across the state, stressing that security agencies would not relent in their pursuit of criminals operating within and around Ekiti State.

The rescue has brought relief to the victims and their families while reinforcing confidence in the collaborative security strategy being deployed to tackle kidnapping and other forms of criminality in the region.