Armed men abducted senior officials of the Kwara State Local Government Service Commission along the Omu-Aran/Ilorin Expressway on Friday. Among those kidnapped were the Head of the Legal Department at Oke-Ero Local Government, Elizabeth Arinde, and the council’s Head of Personnel Management, whose identity was not immediately disclosed.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The abduction took place at about 5:45 p.m. on April 25, 2025, when five gunmen ambushed two private vehicles at Corner Eleyin along the expressway, forcibly taking the passengers into nearby bushes.

Sources revealed that a total of seven people were kidnapped during the attack while returning to Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, for the weekend.

Confirming the incident, the Kwara State Police Command issued a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo.

The statement, titled “Security Update: Kidnap Incident in Isanlu Isin of Isin LGA,” reported that security forces, including the police, military, and vigilante groups, quickly launched an operation that led to the rescue of two victims — Ganiyu Ajayi and Kolawole Adeyemi.

Ejire-Adeyemi said efforts were ongoing to secure the release of the remaining five abductees, while aggressive patrols, intelligence operations, and bush combing activities had been intensified to forestall future incidents.

She reassured residents of the state’s commitment to tackling criminality and urged citizens to remain alert and collaborate with security agencies by providing useful information.

Following the kidnapping, the Ilorin Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) issued an urgent alert concerning the abduction of Arinde.

In a notice signed by SMH Kosemani, Chairman of the NBA Ilorin Branch, the association expressed deep concern and called attention to the incident, confirming that Arinde and the DPM were kidnapped while traveling to Ilorin.

This latest abduction follows a similar attack on April 19, where gunmen hijacked a Toyota Sienna vehicle along the Obbo-Aiyegunle/Osi road in Ekiti Local Government Area, kidnapping seven passengers en route from Abuja to Offa.

In that earlier incident, three children traveling with the abducted adults were spared, with the eldest child alerting officials of the transport company, Olumoh Express, about the kidnapping.

As of the time of this report, the abducted parents from the April 19 incident remain in captivity, according to PPRO Ejire-Adeyemi.