The wife of the late Olukoro of Koro kingdom in the Ekiti local government area of Kwara state and another victim have been rescued from a thick forest between Ekiti and Kwara states.
The rescue operation, which took place on Monday, also resulted in the arrest of 13 suspects connected to the murder of the retired Army General turned monarch, Oba Olusegun Aremu-Cole, in his palace last Thursday.
According to a press statement issued by the Spokesperson of Kwara State Police Command, DSP Ejire Adeyemi Adetoun, the rescued victims are in good health and have been reunited with their families.
The suspects are currently in police custody, undergoing thorough interrogations to help in the arrest of other members of the criminal gang.
According to the statement, the DSS, military, police, and local hunters all worked together to make the rescue operation a success.
“A joint operation comprising the police, military, DSS, and vigilante/hunters who tirelessly combed the forest yielded positive results.
“This operation led to the successful rescue of the wife to the late monarch and one other at about 22:3 hours of 05/02/24. The rescued kidnap victims have been reunited with their families, hale and hearty,” the statement read.
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, ordered the deployment of a police helicopter for aerial surveillance.
The helicopter, used by the military, played a crucial role in locating the suspects and victims, leading to their arrest on Monday.
The press statement, titled “Olukoro of Koro’s Widow Regains Freedom with One Other as Police Arrest Thirteen Suspects,” emphasised the commitment of the Commissioner of Police, CP Victor Olaiya, to ensuring that the perpetrators of the heinous crime face the full force of the law.
The public was urged to remain calm and security-conscious while going about their daily activities.
