Some gunmen kidnapped senior Kwara State Local Government Service Commission officials on the Omu-Aran/Ilorin Road.
The victims are Elizabeth Arinde, Head of the Legal Department of Oke-Ero Local Government, and the council’s Head of Personnel Management, whose identity could not be confirmed immediately.
The victims were abducted by the gunmen on Friday evening.
It was gathered that the two senior administrators were among seven people kidnapped at Corner Eleyin on the Omu-Aran/Ilorin Motorway while returning to Ilorin, the state capital, for the weekend on Friday, April 25, 2025.
Around 5:45 p.m., five gunmen assaulted two private automobiles before leading the passengers into the jungle.
On Saturday, the Kwara State Police Command confirmed the incident in a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo.
The statement reads, “The Kwara State Police Command confirms a kidnap incident reported at about 5:45 p.m. on Friday, 25th April 2025, at Eleyin village via Isanlu-Isin. It was reported that about five armed men blocked the highway, stopping two private vehicles and forcefully taking all occupants to an unknown location.
“Following the report, the command, in collaboration with the military and vigilantes, launched a swift operation, leading to the successful rescue of two victims, Ganiyu Ajayi and Kolawole Adeyemi.
“Efforts are ongoing to rescue the remaining five victims and apprehend the perpetrators.
“The command has intensified security measures across the area, including aggressive bush combing, strategic patrols, and intelligence-driven operations to prevent further occurrences.
“We assure the public that robust strategies are in place to tackle criminal activities and safeguard lives and property across the state.
“Residents are urged to remain calm, vigilant, and supportive by providing timely and credible information to security agencies. Further updates will be provided as necessary.”
Following the event, the Ilorin Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association issued a kidnapping notice involving Arinde on Saturday evening.
In a public letter signed by the NBA’s Ilorin Branch Chairman, SMH Kosemani, the association stated, “We are deeply concerned to inform you that Barrister Elizabeth Arinde, Head of the Legal Department at Oke Ero Local Government in Kwara State, has been kidnapped.”
“According to reports, she was abducted alongside the DPM of the local government on Friday, April 25, 2025, while travelling from Oke Ero LGA to Ilorin.”
On April 19, gunmen attacked a Toyota Sienna passenger vehicle on the Obbo-Aiyegunle/Osi route in Ekiti Local Government Area, Kwara State, abducting seven people on their way from Abuja to Offa.
The accused kidnappers, however, spared three youngsters travelling with their abducted parents.
It was learnt that the eldest of the spared children reported the occurrence to the management of the transport business, Olumoh Express in Offa, where the victims had boarded the van.
According to PPRO Ejire-Adeyemi, the abducted parents had not yet been rescued at the time of this story.
