The Ekiti State Police Command says its operatives, in collaboration with the military, Amotekun Corps, and local vigilantes, discovered a kidnappers’ den inside the forest between Irele-Ekiti in Ekiti State and Ogbe in Kogi State during a bush-combing operation. Two victims, Iorfa Solomon, 35, and Blessing Kingsley, 37, were rescued after being held hostage.

A statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Sunday Abutu, on Wednesday said the discovery was made during the operation.

“Upon sighting the operatives, the suspected kidnappers engaged them in a gun duel. In the process, one of the suspects was arrested, while other members of the gang escaped. Meanwhile, the two victims were rescued unharmed.

“Investigation revealed that the victims, Iorfa Solomon and Blessing Kingsley, were kidnapped while on duty at Aluta Bar, Ikoyi, in Kogi State, on June 4, 2026, at about 9:00 p.m.

“The victims narrated that the hoodlums, numbering about eight and armed with guns, surrounded them at the bar, shot sporadically into the air, and whisked them away into the forest, while other people at the bar managed to escape.

“During interrogation, the suspect, Abubakar Kabiru, confessed to the commission of the crime. He identified the two people rescued as their victims, while the victims also identified him as one of the hoodlums who kidnapped them.

“The suspect mentioned seven other members of his gang who are currently at large. Efforts are underway to arrest the fleeing members.

“The Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, CP Falade Adegoroye Michael, calls on everyone to be vigilant and security-conscious, and to support and cooperate with the police and other security agencies in the fight against crime and criminality in the state.”

A mother, her son, and another man identified as ‘Shanko’ were reportedly found dead on Wednesday in the Egbe Subair area of Ijebu-Igbo.

The lifeless bodies of the woman and the man were found in the toilet of their residence, while the four-year-old child was found in one of the rooms within the house.

According to residents who visited the scene, there were indications that a struggle may have occurred before the deaths, as some parts of the toilet and other items within the premises were reportedly damaged.

However, speculation within the community suggests that poisoning may have been responsible for the deaths.

When contacted, the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, called for calm, stating that investigations are ongoing to unravel the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

He added that the corpses have been deposited at the General Hospital Mortuary, Ijebu-Igbo.

“The Ogun State Police Command is investigating the tragic deaths.

“Investigation is ongoing, while the bodies have been deposited at the General Hospital Mortuary, Ijebu-Igbo.”

Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Kano State Command, said its operatives have foiled a kidnapping attempt and cattle rustling in Kiru Local Government Area of Kano State.

A statement by the command’s Public Relations Officer, SC Ibrahim Idris Abdullahi, PRO, said the incident occurred when armed assailants attacked a shepherd, inflicted serious injuries on him, and abducted his two children while attempting to rustle livestock.

It said that, following intelligence information, NSCDC personnel stationed around the nearby Dansoshiya Forest swiftly mobilised to the scene and engaged the criminals in a gun duel, adding that the personnel’s superior firepower forced the suspects to abandon the kidnapped children and flee into the forest with injuries.

According to the statement, those rescued include Abubakar Saleh, 36, and Muhammed Inuwa Dille, 30, who were reunited with their family, while the injured shepherd, 70-year-old Alhaji Saleh, was taken to a health centre for immediate medical assistance.