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By Vera Bassey
Ogun State Police Command has shot dead five suspected kidnappers during a gun duel on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
Ogu State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO)CSP Omolola Odutola,in a statement, yesterday,said that the Sagamu Area Commander received a distress call on Saturday, at about 7:00p.m, from commuters travelling on Sagamu-Ijebu Ode expressway, of an ongoing armed robbery attack near Ilishan.
She explained that the Area Commander swiftly mobilised a crack team of officers to the scene.
“At the scene, they discovered that a group of gunmen had set up a roadblock using an articulated truck.
“They indiscriminately opened fire on the passengers, causing widespread panic.
” Three commuters: Bolaji Bilesanmi , 65, Olasunkanmi Idowu, 50, and Mohammed Salisu,were abducted from two vehicles and taken into the forest.
“The vehicles are :Honda Pilot marked EKY 113 GZ and Honda Accord car with registration number KJA 13 QFA.
“ Commissioner of Police, Lanre Ogunlowo, thereafter ,directed a covert operation led by the command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit.
“ On Wednesday at 4 a.m , operatives located the kidnappers’ hideout on Lagos-Ibadan expressway and upon sighting the police squad, the gang engaged the officers in a fierce gun battle.
” In the exchange of gun firing, five kidnappers were killed while others escaped with gunshot wounds.
” Items recovered included :one AK-47 rifle,10 rounds of 5.6mm calibre ammunition, N5.2 million suspected to be proceeds of crime and three mobile phones.
“The three kidnapped victims regained their freedom, unhurt.Efforts are ongoing to arrest injured members of the syndicate.”
