Six suspected kidnappers were shot dead, yesterday, along Igbanke-Ewohinmi road, in Esan South-East Local Government Area of Edo State, during a gun battle between Police and the kidnappers.
The bodies of the deceased suspects were displayed for newsmen at the state Police Command, yesterday.
According to the Edo State Police Commissioner, Folunso Adebanjo, the incident happened when operatives of the command went to the kidnappers’ den with four suspects following the kidnap of a woman who was kept in a forest around the Igbanke-Ewohinmi road.
He said: “On getting to one of their hideouts, immediately our operatives disembarked with the suspects from a vehicle, the kidnappers opened fire on our men.
“The Police engaged the gang in a gun battle and two of the kidnappers were shot dead. Simultaneously, the other four suspects who took to their heels were fatally injured in the cross exchange of fire and they eventually died.
“One pump action gun with four rounds of live cartridges were recovered from the assailants. We also embarked on a search around the scene and huge sum of foreign currencies and arms were recovered.
“The four injured suspects during the shootout were rushed to Stella Obasanjo Hospital for treatment but were certified dead by the medical doctor in the emergency ward. Our men are still combing the bushes for those who escaped with bullet wounds.”
Some of the items recovered at the kidnappers’ den include a Mercedes Benz C-Class car with number plate AGL 133 CX, $8,200, CFA20,000, five Dirham’s United Arab Emirate currency, N8,500, 12 sim cards, four cut to size single barrel gun, 72 live cartridges and one locally made Revolver pistol.