Our correspondent from Nigeria - Boubacar Sani
Police in Oyo State, southwestern Nigeria, successfully rescued two children kidnapped by an armed gang and arrested four suspects belonging to a kidnapping network operating across several states. They also seized an arsenal of firearms during two separate security operations based on intelligence information.
The state police command explained that the rescue operation began after receiving a report that armed men had stormed the village of Ibenbejo in the Lanlati area of Ibaraba East province, where they attacked residents and kidnapped two children before fleeing.
Nigerian police free two kidnapped children
Police Commissioner Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga immediately ordered the formation of a joint security force comprising police officers, local Amotekon security forces, as well as members of the People's Watch Committees and fishermen, to carry out a large-scale search and rescue operation.
Thanks to intelligence and technical support, the joint force was able to locate the kidnappers' hideout in a forest. As the forces approached, the gunmen opened fire, sparking an armed confrontation that ended with the security forces gaining control and several members of the gang fleeing.
During the operation, police arrested suspect Omar Osman, 25, after he was shot while attempting to flee. Three mobile phones were also recovered at the scene of the clash. In a subsequent operation on June 28, a second suspect, Abdullah Ahmed, 28, was arrested. He also had injuries believed to have been sustained during the clashes and is receiving treatment under police guard.
The investigation also led to the arrest of Sunday Edowo, 30, who is suspected of collaborating with the gang locally, along with Mohammed Ibrahim Sheena, 29, who came from Kwara State to participate in the kidnapping, according to police.
The authorities confirmed that the detainees are providing important information that will help in tracking down the rest of the criminal network, while the two kidnapped children were freed alive and given medical care before being handed over to their family, despite one of them being injured during the period of detention.
In a separate operation targeting an armed robbery network, the Oyo State Police's Violent Crimes Unit raided the hideout of one of the most wanted criminals in the Agah area of Lagos State. Although the suspects fled before the police arrived, they seized sophisticated weapons, including two Russian-made rifles, a pump-action shotgun, a British-made pistol, and 36 rounds of live ammunition.
The police leadership confirmed that the pursuit of those involved will continue, stressing that all detainees will be referred to the judiciary as soon as the investigations are completed.
