By Ajibola Olaide, JKNMedia Reporter
THE OGUN State Police Command announced it has successfully rescued three Indian nationals and a Nigerian who were kidnapped on June 30 at the Ilisan axis of the Sagamu-Ijebu Ode-Benin Expressway.
State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, announced the rescue during a press briefing at the Command Headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta, on Tuesday.
Governor Dapo Abiodun had earlier directed the police and other security agencies to pursue the kidnappers who had abducted the foreign nationals shortly after their arrival in the country.
Alamutu revealed that the police engaged the kidnappers in a fierce gun battle, resulting in the deaths of two suspects while others escaped with gunshot wounds.
The kidnappers had emerged from an unregistered Venza car, shooting at the driver’s side tires and rear side of the vehicle, forcing it to stop.
They then abducted the occupants and fled toward Ijebu-Ode. Upon receiving the distress call, the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Squad was dispatched with orders to pursue and apprehend the suspects.
Using covert operations, the squad located the kidnappers hiding in a bush but the kidnappers, noticing the officers’ flashlights, opened fire.
The police responded with superior firepower, eliminating two suspects while the rest fled with injuries, abandoning their weapons.
The rescued victims, identified as one Nigerian and three Indians, were unharmed and reunited with their families.
Recovered from the scene were five AK-47 rifles, 105 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, eight AK-47 magazines, and two cell phones.
Upon examining the rifles, the police discovered various foreign and Nigerian currencies hidden inside, suggesting foreign involvement in the kidnapping.
Commissioner Alamutu assured the public that the state’s security forces are working tirelessly to ensure the safety of residents, particularly along vulnerable routes.
He urged citizens to report any suspicious individuals with gunshot wounds to the nearest police station.
