The Ogun State Police Command has rescued a kidnap after carrying out an intervening mission for abductees who were held in hostage by a gang of gunmen.
The Command also arrested two suspected members of a cattle theft syndicate in a separate operation, recovering six stolen cows and seizing a vehicle believed to have been used by the suspects during the crime.
The operatives reportedly responded immediately after hearing gunshots from the area, forcing the suspected kidnappers to abandon their mission and flee into the adjoining bush along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
Police said the attempted abduction occurred at Onigaari on July 26 at about 7:10 p.m. while officers were on routine confidence-building patrol.
The rescued victim was escorted alongside his vehicle to the Ogunmakin Police Post for safety and necessary police procedures, while police said normalcy had since been restored. Efforts are ongoing to track down and arrest the fleeing suspects.
In the separate operation, operatives of the Sagamu Division arrested two suspects identified as Abiodun Kamilu, 35, and Adesanya Segun, 37, over their alleged involvement in cattle theft. Officers recovered six of the seven stolen cows and seized a blue Nissan Cabster bus believed to have served as the syndicate’s operational vehicle.
The arrests followed a distress call received in the early hours of July 25 reporting that suspected cattle thieves had invaded a cow yard in the Maskoli area of Sagamu and stolen seven cows. Police said operatives immediately mobilised and mounted coordinated patrols along identified escape routes.
Acting on credible intelligence, the officers intercepted suspicious vehicles along the Sagamu-Ijebu-Ode Expressway, frustrating the suspects’ escape. The operation led to the arrest of the two suspects, the recovery of six cows and the seizure of the vehicle allegedly used in the operation.
Speaking on the development on Tuesday, the Police Public Relations Officer, Oluseyi Babaseyi, said investigations were ongoing to apprehend other members of the suspected syndicate, recover the remaining stolen cow and ensure the prosecution of all those connected with the crime.
Reacting to the operations, the Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, commended the professionalism, courage and vigilance displayed by the operatives, describing the successes as a reflection of the Command’s enhanced operational capacity and commitment to responding swiftly to distress calls.
Ojajuni reassured residents that the Command remained firmly in control of the security situation across Ogun State and would continue to strengthen intelligence gathering, visibility policing, strategic patrols and coordinated tactical operations to sustain public peace and safety.
He also urged members of the public to remain vigilant and continue supporting the police with timely and credible information, assuring residents that every actionable report would receive prompt attention.