Operatives of Ogun State Police Command, on Tuesday, neutralised two kidnappers terrorising travellers on the Sagamu Ijebu-Ode-Benin expressway.
The kidnappers were killed when the police engaged them in a gun duet on Tuesday during a rescue operation.
The police also recovered N7.9 million and 1500 Indian Rupees suspected to have been part of the ransom collected from their victims.
The police, during the rescue operation, carried out around 4:30 pm with the support of the local Vigilantes secured the release of three Indian Nationals; Tejaram Chauhan, Kaduwal Pradhan and Medani Kathiwada, earlier abducted on May 3rd.
The Spokesperson for the command, SP Omolola Odutola disclosed this in a statement sent to journalists on Monday.
Odutola said that the Manager of Breeze Company Nigeria Limited on May 4 made a distress call to the DPO of Mowe Divisional headquarters detailing how some gang of kidnappers on May 3 opened fire on the two Hilux buses conveying his principals, numbering about sixteen at Kajola junction along Sagamu-Siun-Abeokuta expressway.
The statement partly reads that “The anti-kidnapping section of the command in concert with police formations in the axis with other local security agents swung into action by combing the area.
“The policemen engaged the kidnappers in a fierce gun battle confronting the kidnappers in the forest along Benin-Sagamu Papalanto at about 1630hrs of 7th May 2024 and succeeded in the rescue of the victims unhurt.
“In the course of the encounter, two of the six kidnappers were demobilized, two AK 47 riffles, one single barrel locally made gun, one sword, cell phone and criminal charms and 65 rounds of ammunition were also recovered.
“The likely ransom loot of the two demobilised kidnappers of the sum of Seven million nine hundred thousand naira (#7.900.000) and one thousand five hundred Rupees of (Indian currency) were also recovered.
“The two demobilised suspects have been deposited at the public mortuary, while intensive efforts are ongoing to arrest the four fleeing members of the kidnap gang”.
On Monday, the police confirmed the abduction of seven travellers and the killing of another one on Friday, May 3 on the Sagamu- Ijebu-Ode expressway.
The gunmen numbering about seven were said to have waylaid and attacked the travellers in between the Ilisan, Ceplast industry and Iperu junction axis of the expressway.
Odutola said the incident which happened on May 3 around 6:55 pm was incidented as a case of armed robbery, murder and kidnapping.
She explained that “we have information that about seven people whom we don’t know with A.K 47 suddenly blocked the Benin-Sagamu expressway.
“The DPO of Ilisan when he got to the scene of the incident saw two vehicles pierced with bullets; a Lexus Jeep 300 with registration number LND 640 DY, the driver’s name is Chilaka Lugard and another Lexus Jeep 350 with registration number LSR 996 JF belonging to Kingsley Chineme. Inside this Lexus 350 car was found a cross bag with N113,000, two iPhones; an iPhone Six and an iPhone Eleven Promax.
“There was also a corpse of an unidentified man who was shot in the head.
“The third vehicle was loaded with plantains and the driver who was among those abducted but has regained freedom was later allowed to go with the vehicle. The other Lexus vehicles have been taken to Ilishan Police Station”.
Odutola said the state Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu has directed the tactical commanders and the mobile squadron to go after these undesirable elements.
She said, “The CP had been to the scene of this incident, a lot of work is ongoing to fish these people out and let them answer for their criminality. I can assure you that the criminals will be apprehended very soon”.
