Armed bandits have abducted a newlywed couple, Funmilayo Bamidele and her husband, Reverend Abiodun David, alongside four other people along the Iyemero-Eruku Road, near the Kogi-Kwara border.

The incident occurred on Saturday when the victims were reportedly returning from their engagement ceremony in Eruku and were intercepted by the armed assailants.

According to reports, the vehicle conveying the group was originally expected to use the Isanlu Road. However, the driver reportedly took a back route to drop the best man and other members of the group in Iyamoye, Kogi State.

The route reportedly brought the vehicle into the area where the bandits intercepted the passengers and abducted six people, including the newly married couple.

Confirming the incident, the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, said security forces had launched a joint operation to rescue the victims and apprehend the perpetrators.

Ojo said soldiers were already combing the surrounding bush areas, while police operatives in Kwara, Kogi and Ekiti states were working together because the incident occurred around communities bordering the three states.

The commissioner also disclosed that the vehicle used by the victims was later found parked at an abandoned police station in Ayetoro, Ekiti State.Security agencies are continuing the search operation as efforts intensify to locate the abducted couple and the other victims.