Eight out of 25 members of the Christ Apostolic Church, Oke-Igan, Akure, Ondo state kidnapped on Friday, have escaped from their captors.
Commander, Ondo State Security Network, popularly known as the Amotekun Corps, Adetunji Adeleye, made the disclosure on Saturday.
He said the eight victims, who are choristers escaped while they were being forcefully taken into the forest by the armed men in the Owo/Ose axis of the state.
The remaining victims, however, are still being held captive, a development which the Amotekun commander said has prompted a swift response from the security agencies in the state.
He said that the Police Anti-Kidnapping Unit, the Amotekun Corps and the Nigerian Army, have launched a joint comprehensive search operation to locate and rescue the kidnapped victims.
“The primary objective is to track down the kidnappers and secure the safe release of the remaining captives.”
The Police spokesperson in the state added; “Eight victims have been rescued. Effort is on to rescue others unhurt. The rescued victims said they are members of CAC Oke Igan, Akure.
“They were on their way to a burial wake. On getting to Ajagbale via Elegbeka on the Ifon/Owo Motorway, they were accosted by five unknown gunmen who shot sporadically and forcefully took them into the bush.”
Gunmen kidnapped the victims when they were heading to Ifon in Ose Local Government Area of the state to attend the burial ceremony of a parent of one of them.
According to sources, the abduction has left the families and the church in distress. The choir members were said to have embarked on the journey from Akure in a branded vehicle belonging to the church.
It was also gathered that the church vehicle was later discovered abandoned on the roadside in the Elegbeka community.
