Ogun Police gun down two kidnappers, arrest notorious gang kingpin in raid

By Adejoke Adeleye

The Ogun State Police Command has recorded a major breakthrough in its crackdown on kidnapping and violent crimes, neutralising two suspected kidnappers and arresting an alleged gang kingpin alongside another gang member during a fierce intelligence-led operation in the state.

The Command’s spokesperson, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday in Abeokuta.

Babaseyi said operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit carried out the operation following sustained investigations into the abduction of three persons at Ipojo Area, Iperin, Atan-Ijebu, Ogun State, on May 11, 2026.

According to him, the victims were released unharmed on May 14 after their captors reportedly collected an unspecified ransom.

He explained that following the victims’ release, police operatives intensified efforts to track down members of the kidnapping syndicate responsible for the attack.

The police spokesman revealed that the breakthrough came in the early hours of May 15 when operatives, acting on credible intelligence, stormed the gang’s hideout along the Ijebu-Ode/Ibadan Road axis.

“On sighting the Police operatives, the suspects opened fire, leading to a fierce gun duel,” Babaseyi stated.

He added that the operatives responded with what he described as professionalism and tactical precision, resulting in the neutralisation of two suspected kidnappers, while several other gang members escaped into the surrounding forest with gunshot injuries.

Babaseyi further disclosed that follow-up intelligence operations led to the arrest of the alleged kingpin, identified as Seriki Mohammed Abdullahi, and another suspected gang member, Mohammed Bello.

Items recovered during the operation included an AK-47 rifle loaded with 10 rounds of 5.6mm ammunition, a single-barrel gun, N1.5 million suspected to be ransom proceeds, several mobile phones and a black bag believed to be linked to the criminal operation.

The police said the corpses of the neutralised suspects had been deposited in a morgue for autopsy, while investigations were ongoing to apprehend fleeing members of the syndicate and unravel the gang’s wider network.

Commending the operatives for their gallantry and resilience, the Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, CP Bode Ojajuni, reaffirmed the Command’s determination to sustain aggressive operations against kidnapping and other violent crimes across the state.

The Command also urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities to security agencies.