The Ogun State Police Command said its officers rescued a pregnant woman (name withheld) from her abductors.

The victim was said to have been kidnapped on Christmas Day at a community in Ijebu-Igbo in the Ijebu-North Local Government Area of the state at about 11:05 pm.

The command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, confirmed the development on Thursday, saying the gunmen waylaid the couple in front of their house, abducted the pregnant woman and left her husband behind.

The spokesperson told The PUNCH, “The Divisional Police Officer in Ijebu-Igbo received a distress call about a suspected kidnapping incident. A team of policemen was dispatched to the scene, when they got to the scene, they saw the husband, but the wife had been kidnapped.’’

She further said the husband stated that “while they were entering their house, six armed men from nowhere suddenly came out from the bush in front of their house and kidnapped the wife.”

Ms Odutola revealed that the rescue team comprised the Divisional Police Officer, his men, operatives of the So-Safe Corps, Amotekun and others, adding that the victim was undergoing medical evaluation.

She said, “They searched through the bush for hours and were able to rescue the woman on Tuesday. The woman was taken to hospital for treatment.

“Going into communities to kidnap is the new trend now. We have taken over the highways in Ogun. You will see policemen on the road now. But the kidnappers have got into the inner villages to start disturbing. We will get them; we are going back to the drawing board. Criminals have no place in this state.

“So, we are calling on our traditional rulers and community leaders in the state to establish an internal security to barricade the entry and exit points to their communities; and give security agents the necessary information to aid the security of lives and property. Villagers can easily identify strangers in their communities, they should help the police.

“The Ogun State Command under the Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, will not relent until criminals are flushed out of the state, wherever they are.’’