Operatives of the Edo State Command of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) have rescued an Italian cleric of Somascan Father’s community, Luigi Brena, who was abducted by gunmen in Ovia South West local government area of the state.
The operatives, according to the command, killed three of the suspected kidnappers during a gun duel, while the rest escaped into the forest with various degrees of gunshot injuries, abandoning their victim.
Chidi Nwabuzor, spokesperson of the command, in a statement issued in Benin City on Monday, said the kidnappers were killed along Ogunwenyi community in Ovia South West local government.
Nwabuzor, while noting that the victim had been rushed to Igbinedion Teaching Hospital, Okada, for treatment, said intensive bush combing was ongoing with the aim of arresting the suspected kidnappers now on the run.
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“In our continuous efforts to curb crime and criminality in the state, especially kidnapping, the Edo State Police Commissioner, Abutu Yaro, has massively deployed operatives to most of the identified volatile areas and the action has started yielding positive results.
“Consequent upon this, operatives of the Edo command attached to Iguobazuwa Division on July 3, 2022, at about 1745hrs received information that Rev. Fr Luigi Brena, a 64-year-old male and an Italian of Somascan Father’s community was kidnapped by hoodlums suspected to be kidnappers, along Ogunwenyi through Usen community in Ovia South West local government area of Edo state.
“On receipt of the information, the police operatives immediately swung into action and trailed the suspected kidnappers to their camp.
“The suspects, on sighting the operatives, opened fire on them. The superior firepower of the police operatives neutralised three of the kidnappers while the rest escaped into the forest with various degrees of gunshot injuries, abandoning their victim,” the police said in the statement.
