Operatives of Ogun State Police Command recorded a breakthrough on Tuesday, May 7, as they neutralised two kidnappers in a fierce gun battle and rescued three abducted India nationals four days after they were taken hostage.
The Commissioner of Police , Abiodun Alamutu, who briefed journalists on the achievement, disclosed that on Saturday, May 4, the manager of Breeze Company Nigeria Limited, located at Ibadan-Lagos expressway, made a distress call to the Divisional Police Officer in charge of of Mowe Divisional headquarters.
The manager was said to have told the DPO that on May 3, while his principals numbering about 16 were returning to their residences, at Kajola junction, a gang of kidnappers opened gunfire into the two Toyota Hiace buses with registration numbers FST 686 YH ash colour and SMK 986 YE black colour that was conveying them.
The police commissioner said that in response to the distress call, the PMF escort attached to the bus in front exchanged fire with the kidnappers and managed to escape with all the occupants.
However, three Indian nationals namely: Tejaram Chauhan; Kaduwal Pradhan and Medani Kathiwada, inside the second bus without police escort were all kidnapped to an unknown destination.
“The anti-kidnapping section of the command and police formations in the axis with other local security agents swung into action by combing the area.
“Policemen engaged the kidnappers in a fierce gun battle as they confronted them in the forest along Benin-Sagamu Papalanto at about 1630hrs (4:30pm) of today, May 7, 2024, and succeeded in the rescue of the victims unhurt,” CP Alamutu stated.
He said that in the course of the encounter, two of the six kidnappers were neutralised while two AK-47 rifles, a single barrel locally-made gun, a sword, cell phone, criminal charms and 65 rounds of ammunition were recovered.
In addition to the recovery was the cash sum of N7.9 million, which was said to likely be the ransom with the two neutralised kidnappers, and 1,500 Rupees (Indian currency).
The police boss said that the remains of the deceased suspects had been deposited in a mortuary while intensive efforts were ongoing to arrest the four fleeing members of the kidnap gang.
