Suspected Herdsmen kill Naval warrant Officer as Police rescue 7 others

Suspected Fulani herdsmen reportedly struck in Edo State on Tuesday, shooting Felix Akanbi, a Naval Warrant Officer, to death and abducting eight passengers traveling from Akwa-Ibom State to Lagos.

The four-man kidnap gang said to be armed with AK47 rifles, reportedly opened fire on the 18-seater bus along the Benin-Lagos highway.

It was learnt that they intercepted the bus between Ekiadolor and Ovia River bridge and after dispossessing all the passengers of their money, handsets and other valuables, selected eight of the passengers and matched them into the bush leaving the other ten.

It was further gathered that as the kidnappers were taking the victims to their camp in the Ovia forest, Warrant Officer Felix Akanbi who could not walk as fast as others, was shot and killed by the suspected herdsmen.
Following the incident, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the Ekiadolor police division was said to have mobilised his men to go after the kidnappers and the victims.

After combing the bush for over two hours, the police rescued seven victims alive and recovered the body of Akanbi.

Confirming, the report, Edo State police command spokesman, DSP Chidi Nwabuzor, said the police were combing the bush in search of the kidnappers, adding that Warrant Officer Akanbi was nearing his retirement before his untimely death.

He assured that the police would do everything possible to fish out the kidnappers