Families and community members of some seven kidnapped victims in Edo State have faulted the State’s Police Command’s claims that its operatives rescued the victims.

This was as they insisted that the abductees were freed without police intervention after family members paid the sum of N6.5m as ransom.

It would be recalled that the Edo State Police Command had in a statement on Saturday, disclosed that its operatives successfully rescued seven victims from kidnappers in the Ewohimi area of Esan South-East Local Government Area of the state.

The statement, signed by the command’s Deputy Public Relations Officer, ASP Eno Ikoedem, stated that the incident happened on November 1 after the command received a distress report from one Enoch Omozokpia that his father, Mr. William Omozokpia, was abducted on his farm by armed kidnappers.

Ikoedem continued, “Acting swiftly on the report, the Divisional Police Officer, Ewohimi, led a team of operatives in a joint rescue mission with the Nigerian Army and local vigilante groups. The team stormed the forest in a well-coordinated operation, engaging in an intense bush-combing effort that forced the abductors to abandon their captives and flee.

“All seven victims were rescued unhurt and have since been reunited with their families.

The rescued victims are Mr. William Akhabue, Mr. Innocent Ebarekor, Mrs. Rachel Ebarekor, Miss Efuah Ebarekor, Master Winner Ebarekor, Mr. William Omozokpia, and Mr. Lucky Igiese (popularly known as Bulala).

“The Commissioner of Police, Edo State Command, Monday Agbonika, commended the gallantry and professionalism displayed by the police operatives, soldiers, and vigilantes who participated in the rescue operation. He reaffirmed the command’s unwavering commitment to the safety of all residents and assured that efforts are ongoing to track down the fleeing suspects and bring them to justice.”

Meanwhile, reacting via the comment section of the statement shared on the command’s Facebook page, some users who claimed to be family and community members of the victims faulted the police account of the incident.

A user, Ken Mulla, who claimed that one of the victims was his uncle, disclosed that it was the joint intervention of the victims’ families and community members that contributed to the N6.5m ransom paid to the kidnappers.

Mulla wrote, “How and when? When did the Edo State Police rescue them? Is this how the Edo State Police want to tackle the insecurity in Esanland? My uncle is Omozokpia William.

“The family and the entire community paid the sum of N6.5m for their release. The police did not even know when they (the victims) came back from the hands of the kidnappers. Why is the Edo State Police lying to the citizens of Edo State? Who put us in this mess?”

Another Facebook user, Akhabue Williams Mathew, claimed that his father was one of the victims and corroborated the claim that N6.5m was paid as ransom.

“My father was one of the victims who were kidnapped. We personally paid N6.5m for their release, and you are here taking the credit. Is this how you intend to tackle insecurity in Edo State?”

Glory William wrote, “My daddy is among those who were kidnapped, and N6.5m was paid before they were released. Police, why all these lies?”

Another user, Cosmos Osunde, described the police rescue claim as false and corroborated that ransom was paid to the kidnappers before the victims were released.

“This write-up is completely false, a lie from the pit of hell. The good people of Ewohimi paid a huge ransom to secure the release of these individuals from the hands of the kidnappers. Why all these lies? The Edo State Police should do better,” Osunde wrote.

In his words, Mc Deputy Yuan wrote, “This is my community precisely. The Edo State Police didn’t rescue anything. The family paid N6.5 million to the kidnappers before they released them. Which one is Edo State Police rescuing seven people? Mr. PPRO, this is not what happened, please.”

When contacted for further clarification on the matter on Sunday, Ikoedem promised to get back to our correspondent but had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report. (The PUNCH)