Kidnappers shot dead as police rescue abducted Indians

Operatives of the Ogun Police Command, on Tuesday, engaged suspected kidnappers terrorising travellers on Sagamu Ijebu-Ode-Benin expressway in a gun battle, killing two of them.

The police also rescued three Indians and recovered a total sum of N7.9m and 1500 Indian Rupees, suspected to have been part of the ransom collected from victims.

It was gathered that the police, during an operation carried out with the support of the local Vigilantes rescued three Indian Nationals; Tejaram Chauhan, Kaduwal Pradhan and Medani Kathiwada, abducted on May 3.

Police Spokesman, Omolola Odutola disclosed this while addressing newsmen on Tuesday in Abeokuta.

Odutola said that the Manager of Breeze Company Nigeria limited located on Ibadan-Lagos expressway had on May 4 made distress call to the DPO of Mowe Divisional headquarters detailing how some gang of kidnappers opened fire on the two hilux buses conveying his principals, numbering about sixteen at Kajola junction along Sagamu-Siun-Abeokuta expressway.

The Manager further stated that the police escort attached to the first bus with Reg. No FST 686 YH exchanged fire with the kidnappers and managed to escape with all the occupants in the vehicle, while three Indian Nationals inside the second bus without police escort were all kidnapped.

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 round of ammunition were also recovered.

“The likely ransom loot of the two demobilized 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 demobilized suspect have been deposited at the public mortuary, while intensive efforts are ongoing to arrest the four fleeing members of the kidnap gang”.

Daily Trust had reported how kidnappers killed one and abducted seven persons along the Sagamu-Ijebu-Ode expressway.

It was gathered that the gunmen laid ambush along the highway and attacked the travellers in between Ilishan, Ceplast industry and Iperu junction axis of the expressway.