Kidnap Victim Regains Freedom as Ogun Police Gun Down Two Suspects

..Recover N2.2m, Gun

By Adebola Isimijola, Lagos

Two suspected kidnappers have been killed by operatives of the Ogun State Police Command during a gun battle, while an abducted victim was rescued unharmed after spending seven days in captivity.

The police also recovered a single-barrel gun, an expended cartridge, a mobile phone and N2.2 million believed to be proceeds of criminal activities.

The Ogun State Police Command disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday by its spokesman, DSP Oluseyi Babatola, describing the operation as a major breakthrough in the ongoing fight against kidnapping in the state.

According to the statement, the victim was abducted on June 11 at Ogbe Village, prompting the immediate deployment of the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit and other tactical resources.

Following sustained intelligence gathering and surveillance, the victim regained freedom on June 18 as operatives mounted pressure on the criminal gang.

The police said subsequent intelligence led operatives to the gang’s hideout, where the suspects allegedly opened fire on officers in an attempt to evade arrest.

“On sighting the operatives, the suspects opened fire in a desperate attempt to resist arrest and escape. The operatives responded professionally, leading to a gun duel during which two of the suspected kidnappers were neutralised, while other members of the gang fled the scene with gunshot injuries,” the statement said.

A search of one of the deceased suspects led to the recovery of a single-barrel gun, while further examination of the scene yielded an expended cartridge, a mobile phone and N2.2 million cash.

The Command said efforts were ongoing to arrest the fleeing gang members and conclude investigations into the incident.

Commending the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, the Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command, CP Bode Ojajuni, said the operation demonstrated the Command’s determination to rid the state of kidnappers and other violent criminals.

“The success reinforces the Command’s resolve to relentlessly pursue kidnappers and other violent criminals wherever they may seek refuge,” the police commissioner said.

Ojajuni assured residents that Ogun State would remain hostile to criminal elements and urged members of the public to provide credible information that could assist security agencies in combating crime.