IPERU-REMO, — The Nigeria Police Force on Saturday formally launched Operation Kósàyè, a joint security offensive by the Ogun and Lagos State Police Commands aimed at dismantling kidnapping syndicates and other violent criminal networks operating along the border communities of both states.
The operation recorded its first major success with the rescue of five kidnap victims barely 24 hours after they were abducted along the Ijebu-Ode-Benin Expressway. Four suspected kidnappers were killed during the rescue operation, while another escaped with gunshot wounds.
In addition, four suspected kidnappers and 84 other criminal suspects were arrested in separate operations across the Lagos-Ogun corridor. Police also recovered AK-47 rifles, pump-action guns, locally made pistols, ammunition, mobile phones and other communication devices from the suspects.
Speaking while parading the suspects at the Police Training College, Iperu-Remo, Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, described Operation Kósàyè—meaning "there is no hiding place" in Yoruba—as a strategic initiative of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, designed to flush out kidnappers, armed robbers and other criminal elements from forests and border communities linking Ogun and Lagos states.
Ojajuni said the operation was aimed at reclaiming forests, dismantling criminal camps and restoring security across communities stretching from Kara and the Long Bridge through Sagamu, Ogere and Ijebu-Ode to adjoining areas in Ikorodu and Epe.
"Identified flashpoints have been cleared. Illegal shanties used by criminals have been dismantled, while several suspects have been arrested," he said.
The police commissioner dismissed rumours suggesting that kidnappers had taken over parts of Ogun and Lagos states, assuring residents that no victim was currently being held captive within the operational areas covered by the exercise.
According to him, police operatives swiftly responded to the recent abduction incident along the Ijebu-Ode corridor, leading to the successful rescue of all five victims.
"During that operation, four kidnappers were neutralised and another four arrested. In addition, 84 other criminal suspects were apprehended during forest clearance operations across Lagos and Ogun states," he stated.
He urged members of the public to support security agencies with credible intelligence, especially information relating to kidnappers and individuals with gunshot wounds.
Also speaking, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Tijani, said the operation had already begun yielding significant results with the destruction of criminal camps hidden within forests along the Lagos-Ogun border.
According to him, criminal gangs had exploited the dense forests and difficult terrain along the boundary to establish hideouts from which they launched attacks on commuters and residents.
"This is not a one-off operation. It is a continuous exercise that will be sustained until criminal elements are completely denied access to these forests," Tijani said.
He added that the police had deployed advanced technology, including drones and intelligence-gathering tools, to support the operation.
Tijani attributed the success recorded so far to the leadership of the Inspector-General of Police and the support of Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Dapo Abiodun, who provided logistics and operational backing.
"The results speak for themselves. You have seen the rescued victims, the suspects arrested and the weapons recovered. This is a coordinated effort aimed at tackling insecurity," he said.
Victims Recount Ordeal
One of the rescued victims, Pharmacist Amarachi Nsofor, narrated how gunmen attacked their vehicle near Ogbere while they were returning from her father's burial in Oraifite, Anambra State.
She disclosed that her widowed mother was shot in the hand during the attack, while she and an aunt were abducted and taken deep into the forest.
According to her, the kidnappers initially demanded a ransom of N70 million before reducing it to N20 million.
"I was confused and hopeless. We slept in the open without food or water. On the day we were rescued, we heard gunshots and thought the kidnappers had returned. We later discovered it was the police. I am grateful to God and the Nigeria Police for saving our lives," she said.
Another victim, Miss Temi Faith, said the kidnappers ambushed their vehicle around 4 p.m. and marched them into the forest where they met other captives.
"They collected our phones and money. I sustained injuries during the attack and had already given up hope. Suddenly, we heard gunshots and the kidnappers fled. A police officer came to us and said, 'It's the Nigeria Police. Come out.' They saved our lives and treated my injuries," she recounted.
Similarly, a farmer, Jimoh Gbadamosi, said the kidnappers intercepted several vehicles around Ogbere and abducted five people from three vehicles after opening fire on motorists.
While commending the police for what he described as a miraculous rescue operation, he called on the Federal Government to provide security agencies with more sophisticated weapons and establish permanent security posts along the Ijebu-Ode-Benin Expressway.
Emotional Reunion
An emotional scene unfolded when Mrs Blessing Nsofor, the widow who sustained a gunshot wound and escaped from the kidnappers, arrived at the Police Training College from the hospital and knelt before police officers in appreciation.
Fighting back tears, she apologised for previous negative perceptions she held about the police.
"As from today, I will never speak ill of the police again. But for them, I don't know what would have happened to me, my daughters and my sister.
"I escaped from the bus covered in blood and searched desperately for help. Some people ran away from me. A motorcyclist eventually helped me to a hospital after three hospitals rejected me. I am eternally grateful to the police," she said while displaying her bandaged arm.
Meanwhile, relatives of the rescued victims were reportedly still making frantic efforts to raise the ransom demanded by the kidnappers before receiving news of their rescue.
The victims also appealed for the return of police checkpoints along the Ijebu-Ode-Benin Expressway and called on the Federal Government to clear thick bushes along the highway to improve visibility and strengthen security.
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