Ogun State Police Command has given insight into how its operatives rescued three abducted foreign nationals and neutralised two of the kidnappers on Tuesday evening, May 7, 2024.
The foreign nationals – Tejaram Chauhan ‘m’, Kaduwal Pradhan ‘m’ and Medani Kathiwada ‘m’ – all Indians, were kidnapped off Lagos – Sagamu expressway while returning to their base on May 3, 2024 as the buses conveying them and their colleagues came under gun attack by suspected kidnappers, who captured the three and took them to an unknown destination.
Four days later, they were rescued unhurt from the kidnappers inside the forest along Benin-Sagamu Papalanto corridor of Ogun State when police operatives in conjunction with local security agents stormed the area, took out two of the kidnappers during gun duel and freed the captive – Indians.
Arms, ammunition, charms and N7.900.000 believed to be ransom collected from victims of kidnapping were recovered from the suspects.
Narrating to newsmen how the rescue operation was conducted, the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Abiodun Alamutu, said, “This briefing emanated from the breakthrough the Command recorded today 7th of May, 2024, over dare devil kidnappers.On the 4th of May 2024, the manager of Breeze Company Nigeria limited located at Ibadan-Lagos expressway made a distress call to the DPO of Mowe Divisional headquarters that on the 3rd of May 2024, while his principals numbering about sixteen were returning to their residence, at Kajola junction, a gang of kidnappers opened gunfire into the two Toyota haice buses with registration numbers FST 686 YH Ash colour and SMK 986 YE black colour that was conveying them. In response, the PMF 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 first vehicle, while three Indian Nationals, namely, Tejaram Chauhan ‘m’, Kaduwal Pradhan ‘m’ and Medani Kathiwada ‘m’, all inside the second bus without police escort were all kidnapped to an unknown destination.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, 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 (N7.900.000) and one thousand five hundred Rupees of (Indian currency) were also recovered.The two demobilized suspects have been deposited at the public mortuary, while intensive efforts are ongoing to arrest the four fleeing members of the kidnap gang.”
