By Our Reporter
Operatives of the Ogun and Lagos State Police Commands have arrested 88 suspects, rescued five kidnapped victims and killed four suspected kidnappers during a joint security operation codenamed Operation Kosaye.
The operation, which involved coordinated bush-combing exercises across Ogun, Lagos and the boundary with Oyo State, was launched as part of an initiative by the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, to rid both states of criminal elements and reassure residents over security concerns.
Addressing journalists on Saturday at the Ogun State Police Training College, Iperu, the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, said the exercise led to the arrest of 84 suspects—75 males and nine females—across the two states. He added that four additional suspects were arrested during an operation that rescued five victims kidnapped along the Ore–Ogbere Road on Thursday, bringing the total number of arrests to 88.
Ojajuni said four suspected kidnappers were neutralised during the rescue operation.
He said: “We formally launch ‘Operation Kosaye’ in Lagos and Ogun states. Operation “Kosaye” means there is no space for criminality and criminals. It is an idea and initiative of the Inspector General of Police and highly supported and sponsored by the governors of Lagos and Ogun states.
“The aim of this operation is to wipe out banditry if at all it exists in the two states and also to clear the bushes in the states. It is also to wipe out other criminal elements. We are here to allay the fears of the citizens and rumors of banditry. We are free of bandits or kidnappers, both in Lagos – no single Nigerian is in their hands.
“We have cleared the bushes right from Ikeja down to Kara Bridge, to Redeem Camp, Iseri corridor. We have moved to Owode Egba axis down to Ogere, we have extended to Ijebu Igbo, Ijebu Ode, J4 at the fringe of Ondo State boundary.
“We equally cleared Epe, Ikorodu, Ogijo and others. We cleared shanties, criminals hideouts and we made arrests. While the operation was going on, there was a security breach along J3, J4 corridor at the fringe of Benin-Sagamu Express.
“It may gladden your mind to know that on the marching order of the Inspector General of Police, Operation Kosaye moved in and rescued five victims and in the course of the operation we neutralized four kidnappers, arrested another four aside the 84 other suspects that were arrested across Lagos and Ogun stretches.”
Items recovered during the operation include arms and ammunition, battle axes, cutlasses, AK-47 rifles, pump-action guns, assault rifles, English-made pistols, locally-made pistols and mobile phones.
The Ogun police commissioner urged residents to remain calm and report anyone seen with gunshot wounds to the police.
Also speaking, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Tijani Fatai, dismissed claims that bandits had infiltrated Ogun and Lagos states, insisting that security operatives had thoroughly combed forests and other suspected hideouts.
He said: “To further clear the doubt of people who have been carrying rumour that bandits have taken over Ogun State and have infiltrated into Lagos State, this is to further clear their doubts that all the bushes have been combed both within Lagos and Ogun.
“Most of the bushes we know, they are thick bushes and they have been searched thoroughly. Apart from that, it’s a continuous exercise, it will continue as long as it can stay. We want to assure the people of Lagos and Ogun that the IGP is not resting on his oars.
“He is quite familiar with the terrain and has given a marching order and I want to appreciate the governors of Lagos and Ogun who have largely supported and keyed into the initiative.”
Fatai added that the operation would be sustained and replicated in other states as part of the Nigeria Police Force’s ongoing efforts to combat kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes.
