Operatives of the Ogun State Police Command have rescued five students of Gateway Polytechnic, Sapade, following a gun battle with suspected kidnappers who abducted them in the Sapade area of the state.

The incident occurred on April 27, 2026, at about 10:55 a.m., when operatives of the Ipara Division received a distress report of a suspected kidnapping. A patrol team was immediately deployed to the scene, where an ash-coloured Toyota vehicle was found abandoned.

The command’s spokesperson, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, said the team observed visible bullet impacts and blood stains on the vehicle, while mobile phones and other personal belongings were recovered.

He added that further examination led to the discovery of an identity card belonging to a student of Gateway Polytechnic, Sapade, confirming that the occupants of the vehicle were students.

Babaseyi said the development prompted the Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, to order the deployment of tactical units and a full-scale, intelligence-led rescue operation.

According to him, operatives from the Isara Area Command, Ipara Division, SWAT, Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Violent Crime Response Unit, Quick Response Squad and OP MESA carried out coordinated bush-combing and tracking operations along suspected escape routes.

“The sustained operational pressure led to the successful rescue of the five victims from the custody of the abductors on April 28, 2026. The victims were immediately evacuated, debriefed and taken for medical attention due to conditions sustained while in captivity.

“During the rescue operation, the kidnappers engaged operatives in a gun duel but were overwhelmed by superior firepower and tactical response, forcing them to flee with suspected gunshot wounds. No casualty was recorded among security operatives,” he said.

Ojajuni commended the coordination among the tactical units, stating that the intelligence-driven response was decisive to the success of the operation. He added that bush-combing efforts remain ongoing to track and apprehend the fleeing suspects.

He urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious movements to the nearest police formation or through the command’s emergency lines.