Operatives of the Ogun State Police Command have rescued five students of Gateway Polytechnic, Sapade, who were abducted by armed criminals in the Sapade area of the state.
The spokesperson for the command, Babaseyi Oluseyi, disclosed in a statement on Wednesday that the incident occurred on April 27, 2026, at about 10:55pm.
He noted that the Ipara Division had received a distress report of a suspected kidnapping prompting policemen to visit the scene.
Oluseyi said that police patrol teams deployed to the scene discovered an abandoned ash-coloured Toyota vehicle riddled with bullet holes, with blood stains and personal belongings recovered inside.
The PPRO said further checks at the scene led to the recovery of an identity card belonging to a student of the institution, confirming that the victims were students of the polytechnic.
He continued, “In line with standard operational procedures, the Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command, CP Bode Ojajuni, promptly ordered the deployment of tactical units and directed an intelligence-led rescue operation to safely locate and rescue the victims.
“Acting on this directive, operatives of Isara Area Command, Ipara Division, SWAT, Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Violent Crime Response Unit, Quick Response Squad, and OP MESA were swiftly mobilised and conducted coordinated bush combing and tracking operations along suspected escape routes.”
He noted that the sustained pressure from the security operatives led to the successful rescue of all five victims on Tuesday.
“The sustained operational pressure led to the successful rescue of the five victims from the custody of the abductors on 28th April 2026.
“The victims were immediately evacuated, debriefed, and taken for medical attention due to conditions sustained while in captivity.”
Oluseyi stated that during the rescue operation, the kidnappers engaged the police operatives in a gun duel but were overwhelmed by superior firepower and tactical response, forcing them to flee with suspected gunshot wounds while adding that there were no casualties recorded by the operatives.
He also assured that ongoing operations were in place to track down the fleeing suspects and bring them to justice.
The command urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to security agencies through its emergency lines.
PUNCH Metro reported on Tuesday that police operatives in Kogi State rescued 17 pupils abducted from an Islamic school in Lokoja, as security agencies intensify efforts to free the remaining victims.
The pupils were kidnapped on April 26 at about 11:45 p.m. when gunmen invaded Daarul Kitab School, an Islamic institution with an attached orphanage located in Zariagi along NNPC Road, Kabba Junction.
