14th September, 2022
By Jethro Ibileke
Operatives of Edo State Police Command have rescued an 13-month-old baby from kidnappers who snatched the baby from its 42-year-old mother, Elizabeth Ojo.
Three of the six kidnappers were neutralized in the process.
The deputy spokesperson of the Command, ASP Jennifer Iwegbu, disclosed this in a statement released to the press on Wednesday morning.
According to the statement, an alarm was raised by distraught residents of Achigbor Community along Benin-Auchi road, in Uhunmwonde LGA of Edo State at about 7.30 pm on Tuesday, 13 September, 2022.
“The Police Operatives on pin-down along that axis immediately mobilized and moved to the scene, where they came to an empty compound that had been vandalized and one Elizabeth Ojo ‘F’ 42yrs, screaming that her baby had been taken.
“On enquiry, she said some hoodlums suspected to be kidnappers vandalized her property and whisked her baby of 1yr 1month away into the bush.
“The Operatives immediately moved into the bush, for possible rescue of the baby. The kidnappers on sighting the Operatives threw the baby into the bush and opened fire on them.
“In the firefight with the Police operatives, [three] of the [six] kidnappers succumbed to our superior firepower. The other three are still on the run while further bush combing of that general area is still ongoing.
“The baby was rescued unhurt and has been handed over to the mother,” the statement said.
Items were recovered at the scene include one cut-to-size double barrel gun, one cutlass and one battle axe.
Meanwhile, the State Commissioner of Police, CP Abutu Yaro, has commended the operatives for their timely intervention.
He also urges the good people of the State to be more security-conscious and vigilant, as the year is coming to a close.
Yaro further reassured the general populace that the command would continue to handle every complaint with expedient actions.