… Abiodun says no ransom paid for victims’ release
• One student hospitalised after sustaining gunshot injury
The seven students of Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Saapade, in Remo North Local Government Area of Ogun State who were abducted by gunmen last week have regained their freedom following a coordinated rescue operation involving security agencies, local hunters and vigilantes.
Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, announced the rescue on Thursday in Abeokuta, saying none of the victims’ families paid ransom before they were freed.
The governor said the operation, which culminated in the arrest of two suspected kidnappers, underscored the state’s determination to rid Ogun of criminal elements.
Addressing journalists at the Governor’s Office in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, Abiodun said the rescue followed an intensive multi-agency operation launched immediately after the students were kidnapped on July 29.
According to him, the operation involved the Nigeria Police Force, the Armed Forces, the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Ogun State Security Network Agency, popularly known as Amotekun, local vigilantes, hunters and other security operatives.
He disclosed that the operation received a major boost after he requested aerial surveillance support from the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, through the police leadership, resulting in the deployment of a police helicopter on August 3.
“Our primary responsibility is the protection of lives and property. Security is the bedrock upon which sustainable development is built. Once the students were abducted, we immediately activated a coordinated security response to ensure their safe rescue,” the governor said.
Abiodun explained that five of the victims were rescued during the first phase of the operation and reunited with their families after receiving medical attention, while the remaining two were rescued during a follow-up operation involving the police helicopter and ground troops.
He added that one of the rescued students sustained a gunshot wound during the incident but was promptly evacuated for treatment and had since been stabilised.
The governor disclosed that two suspected members of the kidnapping gang had been arrested, while security operatives were intensifying efforts to apprehend other fleeing suspects.
“As of today, two kidnappers have been arrested, while security agencies are on the trail of other members of the gang. The operation is still ongoing, and some details cannot be disclosed for operational reasons,” he said.
He warned kidnappers, armed robbers, cultists and other criminal elements to steer clear of Ogun State, stressing that anyone involved in criminal activities, including informants, collaborators, logistics providers and sponsors, would be tracked down and prosecuted.
Abiodun also commended President Bola Tinubu for strengthening the operational capacity of security agencies across the country and praised the Inspector-General of Police, the Director-General of the DSS, the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, military personnel, NSCDC, Amotekun operatives, vigilantes, local hunters and other security personnel for their roles in the rescue mission.
He equally appreciated the management of Gateway ICT Polytechnic, parents of the abducted students, traditional rulers, community leaders and residents for supporting the security operation.
The governor assured residents and investors that his administration would continue to invest in intelligence gathering, surveillance technology and logistics to improve security across the state.
Also speaking, the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, confirmed that the victims were rescued without the payment of ransom.
“It was a successful operation. No ransom was paid. Five victims were rescued in the early hours of today, medically examined and reunited with their families,” the police commissioner said.
Ojajuni explained that the remaining two students were rescued after a coordinated operation involving a police helicopter and ground forces stormed the kidnappers’ hideout.
He said the two suspects arrested were already in police custody and assisting investigators, adding that efforts were ongoing to arrest the remaining members of the gang.
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