by Isi Esene

The Commissioner of Police in Edo State, Foluso Adebanjo has said that everything is being done to locate the kidnapped family members of the Supreme Court Judge, Bode Rhodes-Vivour and return them home safely.

Adebanjo told newsmen on Monday that several police officers, consisting of anti-kidnapping, mobile units and Special Anti-Robbery Squad have been deployed in suspected kidnappers’  hideouts in the state to locate the victims.

The wife and daughter of the judge were abducted on Friday in the Okada area of Edo State.

The police boss, however, refused to give details of measures so far taken to make sure they return home unhurt.

[READ: Gunmen kidnap wife, daughter and driver of Supreme Court Justice, Bode Rhodes-Vivour]

“I can tell you that we are working assiduously to locate the victims and then arrest the criminals,” Adebanjo reportedly said.

“Believe me, all our striking units – SARS, anti-kidnapping, mobile units – have been in that area since that day. I am just coming from there.

“I will not want to say much because so far, they have not been released. But we are in contact with the family.

“We don’t want to jeopardise what we are doing because they (kidnappers) too read the (news)papers. So,  it will not be nice to tell you this is what we are doing.

“We don’t want to jeopardise their safety which is paramount; their families would want them to be brought back safely.”

He confirmed the location of the abduction saying the incident happened around the Okada area of the state.

“It is in Edo State, near Okada area,” he said.

He added that the policemen had combed “the evil forest.”

Adebanjo added,  “I have been there with about 100  men, comprising  mobile policemen, SARS, anti-kidnapping and other officers.

“For Iruekpen area, I was there about a week ago and we have mapped out strategies. If you have been following us, last week, we killed two of the suspected robbers in a gun battle with our me.

“When they were robbing, there was a distress call and our men gunned down two of them. And we have arrested so many too.”