Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Nigeria Police Force has confirmed that three suspected kidnappers who abducted students of the Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Saapade, in Ogun State were neutralised in a fierce gun duel with security operatives, marking a decisive chapter in a week-long ordeal that had thrown the state's academic community into panic. The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, disclosed the development in a statement on Sunday, August 9, 2026, detailing the operational successes recorded by the police across the country. According to Iniedu, following the rescue of the abducted victims, the police anti-kidnapping unit and operatives of the Department of State Services tracked the fleeing kidnappers to their hideout, where a tactical engagement resulted in the death of three suspects while others escaped with gunshot injuries.
The abduction had occurred on July 29, 2026, when gunmen attacked a private hostel along Paraga Road in Ipara-Remo, Remo North Local Government Area, and whisked away five students of the state-owned institution. The incident immediately triggered widespread outrage, with the National Association of Nigerian Students issuing a 72-hour ultimatum to the Ogun State Government and security agencies to secure the release of the abducted students and arrest those responsible for the killing of a female student of D.S. Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic, Itori. NANS Secretary-General Oladimeji Uthman warned that students across Ogun's tertiary institutions now live in fear because of persistent cases of kidnapping, armed robbery, cult violence and rape. "For far too long, students have continued to live in fear. The safety of lives and property on and around our campuses has been grossly threatened," Uthman declared.
The rescue operation, which unfolded in the early hours of Thursday, August 6, 2026, was a testament to inter-agency collaboration. Governor Dapo Abiodun, addressing journalists at his Oke-Mosan office in Abeokuta alongside security chiefs and some of the rescued students, confirmed that all seven victims – five students and two other residents – were rescued alive. The coordinated security 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 (Amotekun Corps), local vigilantes and hunters. Abiodun disclosed that the operation received a major boost after the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, approved the deployment of a police helicopter for aerial surveillance, which he said played a crucial role in the success of the rescue mission. One of the victims sustained a gunshot injury during the incident but was immediately evacuated for medical attention and has since been stabilised.
The governor declared that kidnappers and other criminal elements would have no hiding place in the state, vowing that security agencies would sustain coordinated operations aimed at dismantling kidnapping syndicates, destroying criminal camps in forests and disrupting their logistics networks. "There will be no hiding place for kidnappers or any other criminals in Ogun State," Abiodun declared. The Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, confirmed that no ransom was paid for the release of the students, describing the operation as a major victory for the state's security architecture.
But the story did not end with the rescue. In a subsequent operation, the police anti-kidnapping unit and DSS operatives tracked the fleeing kidnappers to their hideout and engaged them in a gun duel. Three suspects were neutralised, while others escaped with gunshot wounds. The Force Public Relations Officer noted that one AK-47 rifle, one empty magazine, three mobile phones, and the sum of N2.3 million were recovered during the operation. The State Criminal Investigation Department has commenced further investigation into the incident. Governor Abiodun had earlier announced the arrest of two suspected members of the kidnapping gang, while security operatives remained on the trail of other fleeing suspects.
The incident has laid bare the deepening security crisis in Ogun State, where campuses and their surrounding communities have become hunting grounds for criminal syndicates. The killing of a female student of D.S. Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic, Itori, during a robbery attack, and repeated armed robbery assaults around Tai Solarin Federal University of Education, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, and Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic, have left students and residents in a state of constant fear. NANS had earlier expressed frustration that its requests for strategic meetings with security agencies were not honoured, a failure it said had frustrated genuine efforts aimed at finding collaborative solutions while students continued to suffer armed robbery attacks, kidnappings, violent assaults and loss of lives.
The successful rescue and the subsequent neutralisation of three kidnappers have been hailed as a significant victory, but questions remain about the broader security architecture and whether this operation represents a turning point or merely a temporary reprieve. The recovery of N2.3 million in cash from the kidnappers' hideout underscores the lucrative nature of the enterprise, suggesting that criminal syndicates will continue to target students and residents as long as the risk-reward calculus favours them. Governor Abiodun has pledged sustained investment in intelligence gathering, surveillance technology and logistics to ensure Ogun remains safe for businesses and residents. But for the students who have lived through the terror of abduction, and for the families who endured days of agonising uncertainty, the trauma will linger long after the headlines fade. The question now is whether the government can translate this operational success into lasting security, or whether the next gang is already planning its next move.
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