Ogun State Police Command said it has geographically located the forest where five members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, abducted at the J3, Ogbere – Ijebu – Ode, Ogun State, stretch of the Lagos – Ore expressway, were kept by the abductors.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP, Abimbola Oyeyemi, made this known on Friday while speaking with reporters at the Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Abeokuta.
According to him, the Command’s rescue team are trying to be tactical and professional in storming the location in order not to jeopardize the lives of the victims.
He said the victims, had boarded a commercial vehicle from the Eastern part of the country heading to the RCCG’s programme but were abducted and taken into the forest.
He said: “On the 1st of August 2019, at about 3:30 pm, the Ogun state police command received an information that a commercial vehicle with registration number KW 230 XA belonging to Abia line transport company was coming from the Eastern part of the country heading towards Lagos, on getting to J3 area of Ogbere, some hoodlums numbering about 10 suddenly came out of the forest and forcefully stopped the vehicle.
“Five amongst the passengers namely Chidioze Eluwa, Chiemela Iroha, Okoro Ohowukwe, Ndubuizi Owuabueze, and Ibeleji Chidinma (female) were abducted and taken to the forest.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Bashir Makama is personally leading the operation to rescue the victims with operatives from the command’s tactical squads combing the entire area.
“The hideout of the hoodlums has been geolocated but our men are trying to be tactical and professional in order not to jeopardize the lives of the victims we are making efforts to rescue.
“With the operation going on presently, we are rest assured that the victims will soon regain their freedom and the hoodlums will definitively be brought to book.”