By Victor Akinkuolie, Ado-Ekiti
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Operatives of Amotekun and the Police in Ekiti State are now on the trail of kidnappers who abducted the state Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Paul Omotosho .
The duo security agencies, in separate interviews with The Hope Metro on Sunday, said a joint security taskforce has been mobilised to the forests in different parts of the state to rescue the victim.
It was gathered that Omotosho was kidnapped on Saturday evening along the Agbado-Imesi-Ekiti road in Gbonyin Local Government Area of the state.
A close source who confirmed the development, disclosed to The Hope Metro that Omotosho, who hails from Imesi-Ekiti, was on his way to his hometown, when the gunmen ambushed his vehicle with sporadic gunshots, before marching him inside the bush.
Also, a source from the party said the APC chairman was whisked away at about 5:30pm on the fateful day, while driving in his private car along Agbado/Ilumoba/ Imesi-Ekiti roads in Gbonyin local government area of the state.
Speaking on the matter, the APC Publicity Secretary in the state, Mr. Segun Dipe, said the state party chairman was coming from an engagement in Ado-Ekiti, the capital of the state.
According to him, “The chairman was driving in his private Venza car along the road, when some men accosted him and whisked him away to an unknown destination.
“The gunmen shot at one of the tyres of the car. He was whisked away in a Toyota Hilux van.
“He was alone in the car when the incident happened, according to the information we have.
“It happened in the evening. We got the information at about 6pm. The security agencies, police and Amotekun have been alerted. And they are all working on it.”
Meanwhile, the police and operatives of the Western Security Network, Amotekun Corps in the state said their men have began 24-hour combing of the forests across the state.
They said the security agencies consisting of the Police, Army, Amotekun, as well as operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) have commenced stop and search operations in all border towns and other porous roads across the state.
The police spokesperson, Mr. Sunday Abutu, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), said the move is to unravel those behind the dastardly act and stop future occurrences.
Similarly, the Amotekun Corps Commander in the state, Brigadier Joe Komolafe (rtd), said his men in company of other local hunters in the state are currently in the forest around Gbonyin as well as boundary of Kogi and Kwara States, in search of the kidnappers and also to rescue the APC chairman without any hitch.
He promised that they would do everything to apprehend those behind the kidnap of the number one APC man in the state.