Police kill two kidnappers, recover N7.9 million in Ogun

Officers of the Ogun State Police Command on Tuesday neutralized two kidnappers who were terrorizing commuters on the Sagamu Ijebu-Ode-Benin Expressway.

The kidnappers were killed when police confronted them with gunfire on Tuesday during a rescue operation.

The police also recovered N7.9 million and 1,500 Indian Rupees suspected to be part of the ransom collected from his victims.

The police, during the rescue operation, carried out around 4:30 pm with the support of the local Rangers, achieved the release of three Indian citizens; Tejaram Chauhan, Kaduwal Pradhan and Medani Kathiwada, abducted earlier on May 3.

This was reported by the spokesperson of the command, SP Omolola Odutola, in a statement sent to journalists on Monday.

Odutola said the manager of Breeze Company Nigeria Limited on May 4 made a distress call to the DPO of Mowe divisional headquarters detailing how a gang of kidnappers on May 3 opened fire on the two Hilux buses carrying their directors. , about sixteen at Kajola junction. along the Sagamu-Siun-Abeokuta Highway.

The statement reads in part that “The command’s anti-kidnapping section, along with police formations in the axis and other local security agents, went into action combing the area.

“The police officers engaged the kidnappers in a fierce gunfight engaging the kidnappers in the forest along Benin-Sagamu Papalanto at around 4.30 pm on May 7, 2024 and managed to rescue the victims unharmed.

“During the course of the encounter, two of the six kidnappers were demobilized, and two AK 47 rifles, a locally made single-barrel pistol, a sword, a cell phone and criminal amulets and 65 rounds of ammunition were recovered.

“The probable ransom loot of the two demobilized kidnappers in the sum of seven million nine hundred thousand naira (#7,900,000) and one thousand five hundred rupees (Indian currency) was also recovered.

“The two demobilized suspects have been deposited in the public funeral home, while intense efforts are being made to arrest the four members of the fleeing kidnapping gang.”

On Monday, police confirmed the kidnapping of seven travelers and the murder of another on Friday, May 3, on the Sagamu-Ijebu-Ode Expressway.

It was said that the armed men, about seven of them, robbed and attacked travelers between the junction of the Ilisan highway, the Ceplast industry and Iperú.

Odutola said the incident which occurred on May 3 at around 6:55 pm was a case of armed robbery, murder and kidnapping.

He explained that “we have information that about seven people we do not know with the AK 47 suddenly blocked the Benin-Sagamu highway.

“The Ilisan DPO, when he arrived at the scene of the incident, saw two vehicles riddled with bullets; a Lexus Jeep 300 with registration LND 640 DY, the driver’s name is Chilaka Lugard and another Lexus Jeep 350 with registration LSR 996 JF ​​​​belonging to Kingsley Chineme. Inside this Lexus 350 car, a crossbody bag containing 113,000 naira, two iPhones was found; an iPhone Six and an iPhone Eleven Promax.

“There was also a body of an unidentified man who was shot in the head.

“The third vehicle was loaded with bananas and the driver who was among those kidnapped but who regained freedom was later allowed to go with the vehicle. The other Lexus vehicles have been taken to the Ilishan police station.”

Odutola said the state Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, has directed tactical commanders and mobile squad to go after these undesirable elements.

She said: “The CP was at the scene of this incident, a lot of work is being done to remove these people and let them answer for their criminality. I can assure you that the criminals will be arrested very soon.”