A woman leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was reportedly killed in Kwara state over the weekend during an exchange of gun fire in a rescue operation between the bandits and combined team of soldiers and hunters.

The woman, identified as Mrs. Olumo Abolaji, APC Women Leader in Koro ward of Ekiti Local Government was one of the eight people kidnapped on Wednesday evening between Araromi Opin and Obbo-Ile in Ekiti local government area of the state.

The politicians, who were all from Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, were returning home the swearing-in of the state executives of the party performed by the state governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq in Ilorin when the gunmen suspected to be bandits waylaid them.

It was gathered that five of the eight people involved had escaped from the kidnappers.

According to Mr. Adekunle Oluwole, a relative to one of the victims ,who said that five of the eight people involved escaped from the kidnappers listed those involved, as the Isapa Ward Chairman in Ekiti local government area of the state, Mr Daniel Adewuyi; the Eruku ward Chairman; Women Leader Eruku; Women Leader Obbo Ile; Chairman Obbo Ile Ward; Women Leader Koro ward; and Women Leader Isapa ward, among others.

He, however, said that the women leaders of Eruku ward, Obbo-Ile ward and Koro ward were taken away into the forest by the kidnappers.

He said that some of the victims who escaped from the bandits were taken to the hospital in the area for treatment, adding that some politicians from the area including Mr. Ganiyu Abolarin, an elected member of the Kwara state House of Assembly representing Ekiti local government state Constituency and Mr. Wale Awelewa, Chairman of APC in Ekiti local government were in the hospital to wish them quick recovery.

Oluwole also hinted that four Hilux vans loaded with soldiers, local hunters and vigilance men were drafted to the forest to trail the kidnappers and rescued the victims.

Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Kwara Police Command, Ajayi Okasanmi , could not be reached for his reaction on the fate of the kidnapped victims yesterday as his phone line was switched off.

But, a senior police officer in the state police command, who sought anonymity, confirmed the incident to THISDAY.

He, however, declined to speak further on the issue.

Also, the state chairman of APC in Prince Sunday Fagbemi, confirmed the incident to journalists yesterday saying that "two of the three victims were rescued alive".

Fagbemi said: "Two of our party women leaders in Eruku ward and Obbo-Ile ward were rescued alive, but unfortunately we lost one of them because the woman leader of Koro ward was killed by the bandits".