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Adejoke Adeleye/ Abeokuta

Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers  have abducted four travellers in Olubo Village, along Abeokuta-Imala-Ilara-Ayetoro Road in Abeokuta North Local Government Area of Ogun State.

It was gathered that the four persons, made up of three market women and the driver were abducted on Tuesday night around 8pm while they were returning from Ilara market in Imeko-Afon Local Government Area of the state.

They were travelling in a Toyota Avensis Commercial SUV with number plate FFF 654 TK, that was still at the scene of the incident, the same spot where a medical doctor and a nurse traveling from Imeko town, were also kidnapped sometime last month before they were later released after an undisclosed sum amount of money was paid as ransom by the Nigerian Medical Association.

Again this current kidnap came less than a week after a businesswoman, Roselyn Edusi and her guest were kidnapped at Omu, Ofada in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of the state.

It was also gathered that five other persons from the same vehicle were spared by the kidnappers.

When journalists visited the scene of the incident on Wednesday afternoon, residents of Olubo, Obada-Idi Emi, Imeko-Afon and Ilara protested the abduction, and barricaded the road.

Narrating their ordeal, Mrs. Akewugberu and Mrs. Rofiat Oladeinde, said the commercial vehicle was abruptly stopped by four gunmen, who shot into the air repeatedly.

They explained that the gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles and machetes, abducted the driver and three women who were selected randomly among the passengers.

They added that the abductors spared a Fulani and two Hausa passengers among them but collected their money and cell phones.

The Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, Ogun Police Command, Bolanle Muritala, who later arrived the spot where the victims were abducted in a police helicopter marked 5N-GEJ appealed to the residents to remove the barricade on the road, promising police were already on the trail of the abductors.

“We are going after the abductors, that is why we are here. We shall definitely get them,” he said, while surrounded by irate villagers and gun-totting policemen.

One of the victim’s husband Mr Mutiu Oderinde, said his wife, Jelilat, had travelled to Ilara market for trading to help her mother, who according to him was unable to go due to illness.

Oderinde who cried profusely at the scene and kept staring at the vast forest, appealed to the state government and security agencies to secure the release of his wife and other abductees unhurt.

Also the chairman, Park Management, Ayetoro Motor Park, Abeokuta,Mr Babatunde Adelakun, said the kidnapped driver was his employee.

He said there are 48 police checkpoints, including 10 Highway Patrol teams, from Abeokuta to Ilara.

He berated the police for not doing their bit in protecting travellers on the road, as some of the protesting residents said the police around the area were informed after the incident but they did not act.