Operatives of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested two suspected kidnappers, who engaged security operatives in a gun duel after abducting a couple from Bisodun village in Obafemi-Owode local government area of Ogun State.
The suspects; Mohammed Bello and Mohammed Bashiru, were arrested by the combined team of the Police and hunters, who launched a search into a forest very close to the village in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the suspected kidnappers had on Tuesday evening around 8pm invaded Bisodun village from where they wisked away the couple identified as Mr. and Mrs. Ojo into the nearby forest.
Following the abduction of the couple, the villagers were said to have sent a distress call to the Police at the Owode Egba Divisional Headquarters, who later mobilised a Police search team along with the local hunters in their large number to confront the kidnappers in the forest.
While combing the nearby forest, however, the kidnappers suddenly opened fire on the rescue team which the security men and the hunters adequately responded to.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Abimbola Oyeyemi, who confirmed the incident, stated that one of the local hunters was later hit by the bullet fired by the kidnappers.
Oyeyemi further disclosed that the kidnappers later abandoned their victims and ran for cover after they were overwhelmed by the superior firepower from the police and the hunters.
“The abducted victims and the injured hunter were quickly rushed to the hospital but the hunter, Adebare Ramoni later died while receiving treatment at the hospital where he was rescued to for treatment.
“At about 10am Wednesday morning, there was an information that the suspects were sighted somewhere in the bush, consequence upon which the Area commander Owode Egba, ACP Adeniyi Adedeji, led teams of policemen to the scene and together with the hunters stormed the bush and successfully apprehended two amongst the kidnappers.
“The two arrested suspects have been identified by the victims as members of the gang who abducted them,” the PPRO stated.
He added that the Commissioner of Police, Frank Mba, has ordered that the suspects be immediately transferred to the Anti-Kidnapping Unit (AKU) of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) for discreet investigation.
