The Ogun State Police Command has killed two suspected kidnappers and arrested two others, including an alleged gang leader, during an intelligence-led operation in the Atan area of Ijebu.
The command disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday in Abeokuta by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi.
According to the police spokesman, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit launched the operation after investigating the abduction of three persons in the Ipojo area of Iperin, Atan-Ijebu.
The victims were kidnapped on Monday and later released unharmed on Thursday after the payment of an undisclosed ransom.
Babaseyi said police detectives intensified efforts to track down the gang immediately after the victims regained freedom.
Acting on credible intelligence, the operatives stormed the kidnappers’ hideout along the Ijebu-Ode/Ibadan Road around 5 a.m. on Friday.
He explained that the suspects opened fire on the operatives upon sighting them, leading to a fierce gun battle.
According to him, two suspected kidnappers were killed during the exchange, while several others escaped into the forest with gunshot wounds.
The police later arrested the alleged gang kingpin, identified as Seriki Abdullahi, alongside another suspect, Mohammed Bello.
“The operatives responded professionally, resulting in the killing of two of the suspected kidnappers, while other gang members fled with varying degrees of bullet injuries,” Babaseyi said.
He added that the operatives recovered an AK-47 rifle loaded with 10 rounds of 5.6mm ammunition, a single-barrel gun, N1.5 million suspected ransom proceeds, several mobile phones and a black bag linked to the operation.
The bodies of the deceased suspects have been deposited at a morgue for autopsy in line with standard procedures.
Babaseyi said investigations were ongoing to dismantle the gang’s network and apprehend fleeing members of the syndicate.
The Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, commended the operatives for their professionalism, gallantry and resilience during the operation.
He also reaffirmed the command’s commitment to tackling kidnapping and other violent crimes across the state.