Reverend Fr. Luigi Brena of the Somascan Father’s community, an Italian priest who had been kidnapped, has been freed by the Edo State Police Command.
In a statement released on July 4 in Benin City, the command’s deputy public relations officer, Jennifer Iwegbu, confirmed that Brena, 64, was kidnapped on Sunday night by suspected kidnappers along Ogunwenyi through the Usen community in the state’s Ovia South-West Local Government Area (LGA).
The move has begun producing positive results, according to Iwegbu, who announced the Italian’s rescue. “In our continuous efforts to curb crime and criminality in the state, most especially kidnapping, the Edo State Police Commissioner, CP Abutu Yaro, fdc has massively deployed police operatives to most of the identified volatile areas in the state,” Iwegbu said.
She explained that police operatives attached to Iguobazuwa Division were alerted of the incident on Sunday at about 5:45 pm and immediately trailed the suspected kidnappers to their camp.
On sighting the police operatives, the suspects opened fire on them after which the police swiftly responded.
“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,” she said.
“The victim was immediately rushed to Igbinedion Teaching Hospital, Okada for medical attention. Meanwhile, intensive bush combing is ongoing with the aim of arresting the suspected kidnappers now on the run.” the PPRO added.
In his reaction, CP Yaro, appealed to residents not to deter from partnering with the police by supporting them with prompt and useful information that could lead to the arrest of criminals terrorising the state.
He stressed that the command remained committed to the fight against kidnapping and other criminal acts in Edo.
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