Ekiti Security Team Arrests Kidnap Suspect, Frees Two Victims

A joint security team conducting bush combing operations in Ekiti State has rescued two kidnap victims—Iorfa Solomon, 35, and Blessing Kingsley, 37 from a forest along the Ekiti-Kogi state border. During the operation, the team also arrested a suspected kidnapper, Abubakar Kabiru.

The two victims were abducted on the night of June 4, 2026, at about 9 p.m. from Aluta Bar in Ikoyi, Kogi State. According to accounts, roughly eight armed men surrounded the bar, fired sporadically into the air, and forced the two hostages into the forest while others at the scene escaped.

The rescue took place when security operatives, including police, military personnel, Amotekun Corps, and local vigilantes, discovered a kidnappers’ den hidden in the forest between Irele-Ekiti (Ekiti State) and Ogbe (Kogi State). Upon spotting the team, the suspects opened fire, leading to a gunfight in which Kabiru was captured; the other gang members fled. Both victims were brought out unharmed.

Under interrogation, Kabiru confessed to the crime. He identified the rescued pair as his victims, and they likewise confirmed him as one of their abductors. He also named seven other gang members still at large, with efforts underway to arrest them.

The Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Michael Falade, urged residents to remain vigilant, security-conscious, and supportive of security agencies in the ongoing fight against crime.