The Ogun State Police Command has neutralized five suspected kidnappers during a gun battle at their hideout along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, while others managed to escape with gunshot wounds. During the operation, officers recovered an AK-47 rifle, 10 rounds of 5.6mm ammunition, N5.2 million believed to be proceeds of crime, and three mobile phones. Three kidnapped victims were also rescued unharmed.
According to the command’s spokesperson, CSP Omolola Odutola, efforts are ongoing to track down the fleeing suspects. She disclosed that on January 25, at about 7:00 p.m., the Area Commander in Sagamu received a distress call from commuters reporting an armed robbery along the Sagamu-Ijebu Ode Expressway near Ilishan.
Upon arrival, officers found that a group of armed men had set up a roadblock using an articulated truck and were indiscriminately shooting at unarmed travelers, causing panic. In the attack, three commuters—Bolaji Bilesanmi (65), Olasunkanmi Idowu (50), and Mohammed Salisu—were abducted from two vehicles, a Honda Pilot (Lagos EKY113GZ) and a Honda Accord (Lagos KJA13QFA), and taken into the forest.
Following the incident, the Commissioner of Police, Dr. Lanre Ogunlowo, ordered a covert operation led by the anti-kidnapping unit. Acting on intelligence, officers stormed the kidnappers’ hideout in the early hours of January 29, leading to a fierce gun battle. Five of the suspects were fatally shot, while the rest fled with injuries.
In response to the incident, Ogunlowo warned against criminal activities, especially among young people seeking quick financial gains through high-profile crimes. He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to a relentless crackdown on criminals targeting innocent citizens in Ogun State.