5 suspected kidnappers killed in Ogun

Five suspected members of a kidnap gang who abducted a policeman on Siun-Ajura-Abeokuta road in Ogun State last Friday have been killed by policemen from Obafemi Owode Division while the victim also escaped alive.

This was disclosed to the Nigerian Tribune by the state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, on Tuesday.

All of the kidnap gang members were said to be of Fulani extract.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that the policeman, a Corporal, was on his way from Ogere to Abeokuta in his car with a friend last Friday when he noticed three men standing on the road at Ajura axis.

According to the victim’s account, as he made to manoeuvre, one of the kidnappers holding a machete aimed at his friend’s arm which he hanged on the car door. The friend was said to have quickly dodged the machete, which struck the car instead.

This, the victim said, made him lose control, bringing his car to a halt.

Another member of the gang was said to have opened the driver’s door, dragged him out and took the phones and other valuables in his pocket, while the victim’s friend seized the opportunity to escape.

The victim said that his abductors walked him through the forest for over four hours and collected his phone to call his wife, demanding N100 million as ransom.

“This infuriated the Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu, who saw the kidnap as an affront. He instructed several teams including the Anti-Kidnapping Squad, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad to join the Obafemi Owode Division, under which jurisdiction the incident occurred, to ensure the rescue of the policeman alive,” Oyeyemi said.

The Divisional Police Officer, CSP Sheu Alao, was said to have led his men to the kidnap axis after luring the kidnappers out for the ransom demanded.

On sighting the policemen instead of the ransom bearer, the kidnappers started shootin, making the DPO and his men to engage them in a gun duel.

This led to the death of five of the kidnappers while the sixth member, who had initially stayed with the victim, also sustained bullet wounds when he tried to see what was happening,” the PPRO added.

He stated further that the corpse of the kidnappers had been deposited in a morgue while he called on members of the public and hospitals to inform the police on anyone seen with bullet wounds.