From Taiye Joseph, Ilorin
A newlywed couple, identified as Funmilayo Bamidele and her husband, Reverend Abiodun David, have been abducted alongside four other passengers by suspected bandits along the Eruku-Iyemero Road, a border route linking Kwara and Kogi states.
The incident reportedly occurred on Saturday evening as the couple and other members of the group were returning from their engagement ceremony in Eruku, Kwara State.
Sources said the vehicle was originally expected to take the Isanlu Road but the driver reportedly opted for a back route to drop off the best man and some other members of the group at Iyamoye in Kogi State.
The decision reportedly brought the vehicle onto the Iyemero-Eruku Road, where armed men intercepted it and whisked the occupants into the bush.
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A photograph of the newlywed couple has since emerged following the abduction, while the identities and whereabouts of the other victims were still being established as of the time of filing this report.
Confirming the incident, Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, said security operatives had launched a joint operation across the affected border communities to rescue the victims and apprehend the perpetrators.
Ojo said, “Soldiers are already in the bush combing it to fish out the perpetrators and free the couple.”
He added that the vehicle conveying the victims had been recovered and parked at an abandoned police station in Ayetoro, Ekiti State.
According to him, police operatives from the three affected states were working together on the rescue operation because of the location of the incident along the inter-state border communities.
The commissioner assured that security agencies were making concerted efforts to locate the victims and bring the abductors to justice.
