Police say abducted truck driver was freed after intelligence-led operation along Papalanto–Ilaro Road, while other suspected gang members escaped with gunshot wounds
Segun Atanda/
Two suspected kidnappers have been killed during a police operation in Ogun State after officers tracked an armed gang to a hideout and recovered assault rifles, ammunition and ₦2m in cash, authorities have said.
The Ogun State Police Command said operatives from its Anti-Kidnapping Unit raided the hideout along the Papalanto–Ilaro Road as part of an operation triggered by the abduction of a professional truck driver in Ibese.
The driver was seized at about 11.10pm on 25 August in the Ajibawo area of Ibese, according to a statement issued by the command’s deputy spokesperson, ASP Oluborode Opeyemi.
Police said the victim was subsequently released safely, although the statement did not give details of how or when he regained his freedom.
Investigators pursuing the kidnappers were later led by what police described as “actionable intelligence” to their hideout on the Papalanto–Ilaro Road.
Two suspected members of the gang were shot dead during the operation, police said, while several others escaped with suspected gunshot wounds.
Officers searching the hideout recovered two AK-47 rifles, 25 rounds of ammunition, two mobile phones and ₦2m in cash, which police suspect formed part of the proceeds of the gang’s activities.
The bodies of the two men have been taken to a morgue for autopsy. Police said a manhunt was under way for the other members of the gang.
The Ogun State commissioner of police, Bode Ojajuni, praised members of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit for what he described as their courage and operational effectiveness.
Ojajuni said the raid demonstrated the command’s determination to pursue kidnapping gangs and other armed groups operating in the state.
He said police would continue to rely on intelligence gathering, tactical operations and cooperation with local communities in an attempt to curb violent crime.
The commissioner also appealed to residents to report people seeking treatment for unexplained gunshot wounds, saying such information could assist investigators searching for the suspects who escaped from the hideout.
Kidnapping for ransom remains a persistent security challenge across parts of Nigeria, with criminal groups frequently targeting motorists and travellers on highways and in rural communities.
Ogun, which borders Lagos and the Republic of Benin and contains several major interstate transport corridors, has in recent months intensified operations against suspected kidnapping gangs.
Police said investigations into the latest incident were continuing.
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