Operatives of the Ogun State Police Command have rescued five students of Gateway Polytechnic who were abducted by suspected gunmen in the Sapade area of the state.
The students were reportedly kidnapped late on Monday after a distress alert was received at the Ipara Division few minutes to 11pm.
In a statement by the Command's spokesperson, Boluwatife Babaseyi, a patrol team dispatched to the scene discovered an ash-coloured Toyota vehicle abandoned with bullet marks and blood stains.
The PPRO said personal belongings, including mobile phones, were also recovered from the vehicle.
An identity card found at the scene confirmed that the victims were students of the polytechnic, prompting the Command to escalate the incident and launch a full-scale rescue operation, he said.
According to him, the Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, subsequently ordered the deployment of tactical units and directed an intelligence-led operation to secure the victims’ release.
Teams drawn from the Isara Area Command, Ipara Division, SWAT, Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Violent Crime Response Unit, Quick Response Squad, and OP MESA were mobilised for coordinated search and tracking operations across suspected escape routes.
The sustained pressure from security operatives, he said, led to the rescue of the five victims barely 24 hours after their abduction.
Police said the victims were immediately evacuated, debriefed, and taken for medical attention due to the conditions they endured while in captivity.
During the operation, the PPRO said the abductors engaged the operatives in a gun duel but were overpowered and forced to flee with suspected gunshot injuries, saying no casualties were recorded among the security personnel.
Commending the officers involved, Ojajuni praised their professionalism and swift response, noting that the intelligence-driven approach was key to the successful rescue.
He added that ongoing operations are underway to track down and apprehend the fleeing suspects.
The Command urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to security agencies.
