Ogun Police, DSS kill two kidnap suspects, arrest 18-year-old, rescue 10 victims

By Adebola Muili

The Ogun State Police Command, in collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies, has killed two suspected kidnappers, arrested an 18-year-old suspect and recovered three AK-47 rifles in sustained operations against kidnapping gangs in the state.

The operations also culminated in the safe rescue of 10 passengers abducted from a commercial bus at Orita Fufu, Awa-Ijebu, on November 3, following sustained security pressure and intelligence-led efforts by the joint security team.

The Police Public Relations Officer of the Ogun State Command, DSP Oluseyi B. Babaseyi, disclosed these developments in a statement made available to journalists on Sunday, November 8, explaining that the successes were recorded through coordinated operations involving the police, DSS, other security agencies and quasi-security outfits.

According to the statement, the 10 abducted passengers regained their freedom unharmed at about 8:30 p.m. on Friday, November 7, after sustained operational pressure was mounted on the criminal network responsible for their abduction.

In an earlier follow-up operation at about 1 a.m. on Saturday, November 8, operatives of the Police Anti-Kidnapping Unit stormed the suspected kidnappers’ hideout along the Ibadan-Ijebu Ode Road, where they engaged the suspects in a gun battle.

One suspected kidnapper was killed during the encounter, while other members of the gang reportedly escaped with suspected gunshot wounds.

Items recovered during the operation included an AK-47 rifle, 20 rounds of ammunition, ₦1,376,800 in cash and a mobile phone.

The Command subsequently intensified efforts to track down the fleeing suspects, particularly those believed to have sustained gunshot injuries during the encounter.

However, in a further operation conducted on November 8, operatives of the joint security team, comprising the police and DSS, engaged the suspected kidnappers in another fierce gun battle.

The encounter resulted in the killing of another suspected kidnapper, while an 18-year-old suspect, identified as Abubakar Yinusa, was arrested.

Two additional AK-47 rifles were also recovered during the operation, bringing the total number of suspected kidnappers killed to two and the number of recovered AK-47 rifles to three.

The police attributed the operational successes to sustained collaboration among security agencies, intelligence sharing and coordinated efforts with quasi-security outfits working to dismantle kidnapping networks across Ogun State.

The Command, under the leadership of Commissioner of Police, CP Bode Ojajuni, maintained that sustained partnership among security agencies remained central to ongoing efforts to dismantle criminal networks and ensure the safety of residents.

The police, DSS and other security outfits vowed that all individuals involved in the kidnapping incident would be apprehended and brought to justice.

Meanwhile, the Command urged members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly report anyone sighted with suspicious gunshot wounds to the nearest police station or other security agencies, as such information could assist in tracking down fleeing suspects.