Adams Ojonla, one of the three persons kidnapped by unknown gunmen in Fulani settlements near Iwo town, Osun State, has been rescued.
The gunmen had attacked two villages, inhabited by Fulani herders near Iwo town and abducted three residents.
It was learnt that the victims were abducted in Idi Aba and Laagi Fulani Villages, along Iwo/Aawe/Oyo Road, around 11pm last Friday.
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The identities of the victims were given as Ojonla, 38, a Fulani; Hamzat Ibrahim and Deere Ibrahim.
SP Yemisi Opalola, Police Public Relations Officer in Osun, who confirmed this to newsmen, added that efforts were on to rescue them.
Opalola said one Hamidat Ibraheem reported the case to the Police Division in Iwo.
She said police officers, hunters and other local security agencies were combing the forest to rescue the victims.
The Quest Times gathered that the victim was rescued after the abductors ran into some hunters around the Papa area of Iwo on Monday.
During the encounter at Papa, the abductors were said to have engaged the hunters in a gun battle, during which Ojonla was abandoned.
The abductors was said to have told the families of the remaining victims during negotiation to pay the ransom in dollars.
A source said, “They contacted the families of those abducted late on Sunday. They initially asked for N5million for each one of them. But today (Monday), they reduced the sum to N4million for each of the two people in their custody.
“Police operatives and hunters are on the trail of the perpetrators. One person has been rescued, but two are still being held.”
The spokesperson for the Osun State Police Command, Yemisi Opalola, said, “One person has been rescued. But a search-and-rescue operation is still on to free others.”