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The Nigeria Police on Saturday, officially launched Operation Kósàyè, a joint security effort by the Ogun and Lagos State Police Commands targeted at eliminating kidnapping syndicates and other violent criminal networks operating along the two states’ border areas.
They rescued five kidnap victims on Friday, less than 24 hours after they were kidnapped along the Ijebu-Ode-Benin Expressway, marked the operation’s first major breakthrough.
During the rescue operation, four suspected kidnappers were killed, while another gang member fled with bullet wounds.
A separate four suspected kidnappers and 84 other criminal suspects were also arrested in separate operations along the Lagos/ Ogun corridor. Police also recovered AK-47 rifles, pump-action guns, locally made pistols, ammunition, mobile phones and other communication gadgets from the suspects.
Speaking while parading the suspects at the Police Training College, Iperu-Remo, Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Bode Ojajuni, said Operation Kósàyè, a Yoruba expression meaning “there is no hiding place,” was initiated by the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, to flush out kidnappers, armed robbers and other violent criminals from forests and border communities linking Ogun and Lagos states.
He said: “Operation Kósàyè is designed to reclaim our forests, dismantle criminal camps and restore security across communities stretching from Kara and the Long Bridge through Sagamu, Ogere and Ijebu-Ode to adjoining border communities in Ikorodu and Epe.
“Identified flashpoints have been cleared. Illegal shanties used by criminals have been dismantled, while several suspects have been arrested.
“We are here to reassure residents and dispel the fear and rumours deliberately being spread by kidnappers. As I speak to you, there is no Nigerian currently being held captive by kidnappers in either Lagos or Ogun State.
“You will recall the recent kidnapping incident along the Ijebu-Ode corridor. Acting on the directive of the Inspector-General of Police, operatives of Operation Kósàyè moved into the forest and successfully rescued all five victims. They are here with us today.
“During that operation, four kidnappers were neutralised and another four arrested. In addition, 84 other criminal suspects were apprehended in separate operations during the forests clearance across Lagos and Ogun states.
“As I speak, there is no known victim currently being held in captivity within the operational areas covered by this exercise.”
He urged members of the public to continue supporting the police with credible intelligence, particularly information relating to kidnappers and persons with gunshot wounds.
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Also speaking, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Tijani, said the operation had begun yielding significant results with the destruction of criminal camps hidden inside forests along the Lagos-Ogun border.
According to him, criminal gangs had exploited the thick forests and difficult terrain along the boundary to establish camps from where they launched attacks on commuters and residents.
“This is not a one-off operation. It is a continuous exercise that will be sustained until criminal elements are completely denied access to these forests,” he said, adding that cutting-edge technology, including drones, as well as intelligence gathering, had been deployed.
Tijani attributed the success of the operation to the leadership of the Inspector-General of Police and the support of Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Dapo Abiodun for providing the necessary logistics.
“The results speak for themselves. You have seen the rescued victims, the suspects arrested and the weapons recovered. This is a coordinated effort aimed at tackling insecurity,” he said, adding that the strategy could serve as a model for combating crime in other parts of the country.
Recounting her ordeal, one of the rescued victims, Pharmacist Usofor Amarachi, said she was returning from her village in Oraifite, Anambra State, after attending her father’s burial when gunmen attacked their vehicle near Ogbere.
She said her widowed mother was shot in the hand and, in the ensuing confusion, her injured mother and elder sister managed to escape.
However, she and one of her aunts were abducted and taken into the forest.
According to her: “They demanded N70 million but later reduced it to N20 million.There were five of them and theu were Fulanis. I was confused and hopeless. We slept in the open without food or water.
“On the day we were rescued, we heard sporadic gunshots. We thought the kidnappers had returned. We all lay on the ground.
“We later discovered the gunshots were from police officers. I am grateful to God for the prompt intervention, and I will forever remain grateful to the Nigeria Police .
The freed victims also demanded the reinstatement of police checkpoints along the Ijebu-Ode-Benin Expressway, claiming that they would act as a deterrent to kidnappers. They also asked the federal government to clear the heavy bushes along the highway to increase sight and security.
