Ben Dunno, Warri
In line with his zero tolerance to violence crimes within its coverage areas, Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Ari Muhammed Ali, led Zone 2 Police Command, has dislodged the jungle hideout of notorious kidnap gangs that had terrorized residents as well as motorists plying highways between Lagos and Ogun state.
The operation carried out on Thursday, June 15, 2023, left in its wake four (4) of the criminals shot dead while others escaped with bullet injuries, alongside sophisticated weapons, mostly AK47, ammunitions and motorbike that were recovered at the scene.
Acting on intelligence, AIG Ali, who was recently deployed to Zone 2 from Delta state Police Command, where he recorded major breakthroughs in curbing violence crimes and the secessionist agenda of Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) members who had encroached into the state, was reported to have ordered a 24-hour surveillance in the area.
On confirming the modus of operations of the kidnappers who were made up of both indigenes and non indigenes of Ogun state, as well as foreign nationals, mostly from Chad and Niger Republic, the Commander was said to have immediately despatched a crack team on a sting operation to the location.
It was learnt that on observing the encroachment of the police to their hideout, the criminals immediately opened fire which led to a fierce gun battle that lasted over an hour, resulting in the casualties recorded by the gang who were already ambushed by the operatives.
Sensing the superior fire power of the invading police team, especially after recording fatal casualties, the criminals were reported to have abandoned their camps and took to their heels through a hidden escape route inside the forest.
Confirming the incident, Zone 2 Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Hauwa Idris-Adamu, disclosed that the operatives during a search carried out in the camps recovered four (4) dead bodies and assort rifles as well a motorbike used by the criminals in navigating their way in the jungle.
According to her; “a syndicate of kidnappers who have been terrorizing residents of Abeokuta (the capital of Ogun state) and its environs, especially motorists along the major Lagos-Abeokuta highway were seen somewhere suspected to be their hideout”.
“Consequently, a team of Detectives from the Zonal Monitoring Unit swung into action; on sighting the Police in their hideout at a forest along Ibara Orile, Ogun state, the kidnappers engaged the Detectives in a gun duel where four kidnappers were neutralized while others escaped with bullet wounds”.
“Thereafter, when the hideout was later searched, One (1) unregistered Bajaj Motorcycle, Four (4) AK47 rifles, Six (6) magazines loaded with 20 live ammunition, 10 expended ammunition and four (4) corpses were recovered”.
“Further investigation into the incident revealed that members of the syndicate were drawn from different parts of the country while some of them came from the neighboring countries of Niger and Chad respectively”.
“However, efforts are on top gear to arrest the other fleeing suspects while investigation is in progress”. She concluded.