OGUN: 3 suspected kidnappers killed in gun battle with police, 2 others arrested

The Ogun State Police Command has announced the arrest of two suspected kidnappers who were part of the gang that abducted three persons, including the son of a Chief Imam of Ode-Omi, in the Ogunwaterside local government area of the state.

Three other members of the group were killed on Wednesday during a gun battle with policemen.

The suspects, who were apprehended at Ijebu waterside and were being moved to the command headquarters in Abeokuta by the team, were said to have been caught in cross fire between policemen and their gang members who laid ambush between J4 and Abigi in a bid to rescue them.

State Commissioner of Police, Bashir Makama, made this disclosure on Thursday, during a parade of the suspects at the police headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta, the state capital.

Four members of the gang were arrested after they came out of the creek where they have been hiding. Although the police succeeded in rescuing the victims on August 16 and arrested one of the suspects then, they were forced to retreat after some cops sustained injuries in the operation.

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However, detectives continued to trail the criminals who were hibernating in the creek and their efforts paid off Wednesday morning when four gang members came out.

“They came out probably to relocate to another place not knowing that they were being trailed. The police swooped on them and arrested them. Two cut to size guns, four live cartridges, a cylinder, one boat engine and assorted charms were recovered from them.

“While the arrested suspects were being taken to the command headquarters in Abeokuta by men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), their other colleagues who have laid ambush for them between Abigi and J4 attacked the team with the view of freeing their arrested members.

“This resulted to cross firing between the gang and the police. At the end, two of the arrested suspects and one of the attackers were fatally injured. One pump action gun belonging to the attackers and three expended cartridges were recovered at the scene of the ambush while some of the attackers escaped with bullet injuries.

“The command hereby seizes this opportunity to appeal to members of the public, especially hospitals to report anybody seen with gunshot injury to the police in their area.”

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