…Babaseyi urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the nearest police formation.
OGUN, NIGERIA- The iNews Times| Operatives of the Ogun State Police Command have successfully rescued five (5) students of Gateway Polytechnic, Sapade, who were abducted by armed criminals in the Sapade area of Ogun State.
The incident occurred on April 27, 2026, at about 22:55hrs, when the Ipara Division received a distress report of a suspected kidnapping.
Confirming the rescue, the Command’s spokesperson, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, stated that officers acted promptly by deploying a patrol team to the scene, where an ash-coloured Toyota vehicle was found abandoned. The vehicle bore visible bullet impacts and blood stains, while mobile phones and other personal belongings were recovered from inside.
“Further examination of the scene revealed an identity card belonging to a student of Gateway Polytechnic, Sapade, confirming that the occupants of the vehicle were students. This development necessitated the immediate escalation of the incident and activation of a full-scale rescue operation.
“In line with standard operational procedures, the Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command, CP Bode Ojajuni, psc, FCSS, MNIPR, promptly ordered the deployment of tactical units and directed an intelligence-led rescue operation to safely locate and rescue the victims,” Babaseyi said.
Acting on this directive, operatives from the Isara Area Command, Ipara Division, SWAT, Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), Quick Response Squad (QRS), and OP MESA were swiftly mobilised. They carried out coordinated bush combing and tracking operations along suspected escape routes.
According to Babaseyi, the sustained operational pressure led to the successful rescue of the five victims from the custody of their abductors on Tuesday, April 28. The victims were immediately evacuated, debriefed, and taken for medical attention due to the conditions they endured while in captivity.
He added that during the rescue mission, the kidnappers engaged operatives in a gun duel but were overwhelmed by superior firepower and tactical response, forcing them to flee with suspected gunshot wounds. No casualties were recorded among the security operatives.
Babaseyi urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the nearest police formation or through the Command’s emergency lines: Gateway Shield (Toll-Free): 0800 000 9111; 0906 283 7609; 0912 014 1706; 0915 102 7369; and 0708 497 2994.
