Abducted Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Luigi Brena, 64, has been freed.
Three of the suspected kidnappers were killed in a gun duel with policemen.
Rev. Fr. Brena was seized around 5:45 pm on July 3, by hoodlums along Ogunwenyi Road through Usen community in Ovia Southwest Local Government Area of Edo State.
Deputy police spokesperson Jennifer Iwegbu said: “In our continous efforts to curb crime and criminality in Edo State, most especially kidnapping, the Commissioner of Police, Abutu Yaro, has massively deployed operatives to most of the identified volatile areas in the state, and the move has started yielding positive results.
“On reciept of the information, the police operatives immediately swung into action and trailed the suspected kidnappers to their camp.
“The suspects, on sighting the operatives, opened fire on them, but the superior firepower of the police operatives neutralised three of the kidnappers, while the rest escaped into the forest.
“The victim was immediately rushed to Igbinedion University Teaching Hospital, Okada for medical attention. Intensive bush combing is ongoing, with the aim of arresting the suspected kidnappers, now on the run.”
Iwegbu quoted Edo commissioner of police as admonishing the people of the state not to relent in partnering with the command by availing giving it useful information that would lead to the arrest of criminals in the state.
