Two senior officials of the Kwara State Local Government Service Commission and three others have been abducted by gunmen along the Omu-Aran/Ilorin Expressway.
According to The PUNCH, the victims including the Head of Legal Services for Oke-Ero Local Government, Barrister Elizabeth Arinde, and the council’s Head of Personnel Management, were seized on Friday evening while returning to Ilorin for the weekend.
Sources told our correspondent that the officials were travelling in two private vehicles when five armed men ambushed them at Corner Eleyin, around 5:45 pm, and led them into the surrounding bush.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer for the Kwara State Command, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, said in a statement on Saturday that efforts are ongoing to rescue the remaining victims.
“The Kwara State Police Command confirms a kidnapping incident which occurred at about 5:45 p.m. on Friday, 25th April 2025, at Eleyin village, Isanlu-Isin axis,” Ejire-Adeyemi said.
“Five armed men blocked the road, intercepted two private vehicles, and abducted all the occupants.”
According to her, a joint rescue operation by the police, the military, and local vigilantes led to the recovery of two victims, identified as Ganiyu Ajayi and Kolawole Adeyemi, shortly after the abduction.
“We have intensified search operations through aggressive bush combing, strategic patrols, and intelligence-driven efforts. We are committed to rescuing the remaining victims and bringing the perpetrators to justice,” she added.
In response to the incident, the Ilorin branch of the Nigerian Bar Association issued an urgent alert on Saturday, raising concern over the safety of Arinde.
“We regret to announce that Barrister Elizabeth Arinde, the Head of Legal Department at Oke Ero Local Government, was kidnapped alongside the DPM of the council while traveling from Oke Ero to Ilorin,” the NBA Chairman, SMH Kosemani, stated.
“We call on the security agencies to intensify efforts to ensure their safe return.”
The incident comes barely a week after seven passengers were abducted along the Obbo-Aiyegunle/Osi road in Ekiti Local Government Area. In that attack, the assailants spared three children who later reported the kidnapping to their transport company.
Ejire-Adeyemi noted that the police are still working to secure the release of the victims from the earlier attack.
The Kwara State Police Command has urged residents to remain calm, be vigilant, and promptly report suspicious activities, assuring that measures have been heightened to combat insecurity across the state.
