The Nigeria Police Force on Saturday formally launched Operation Kósàyè, a joint security operation 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 on Friday, less than 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 separate operations along the Lagos-Ogun corridor, police also arrested four additional suspected kidnappers and 84 other criminal suspects. Recovered exhibits included AK-47 rifles, pump-action guns, locally made pistols, ammunition, mobile phones and other communication devices.
Speaking while parading the suspects at the Police Training College in Iperu-Remo, Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Bode Ojajuni, said Operation Kósàyè—meaning “there is no hiding place” in Yoruba—was initiated by the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, to flush out kidnappers, armed robbers and other violent criminals from forests and border communities linking Ogun and Lagos states.
He said the operation is designed to reclaim forests, dismantle criminal camps and restore security across communities stretching from Kara and the Long Bridge through Sagamu, Ogere and Ijebu-Ode to adjoining border communities in Ikorodu and Epe.
According to him, identified criminal flashpoints have been cleared, illegal shanties used by criminals demolished and several suspects arrested.
“We are here to reassure residents and dispel the fear and rumours deliberately being spread by kidnappers. As I speak to you, there is no Nigerian currently being held captive by kidnappers in either Lagos or Ogun State,” Ojajuni said.
He recalled the recent kidnapping incident along the Ijebu-Ode corridor, noting that operatives of Operation Kósàyè moved into the forest on the directive of the Inspector-General of Police and successfully rescued all five victims.
“During that operation, four kidnappers were neutralised and another four arrested. In addition, 84 other criminal suspects were apprehended during forest-clearing operations across Lagos and Ogun states,” he added.
The commissioner urged members of the public to support the police with credible intelligence, especially information on kidnappers and persons with gunshot wounds.
Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Tijani, said the operation had already yielded significant results with the destruction of criminal camps hidden in forests along the Lagos-Ogun border.
He explained that criminal gangs had exploited the dense forests and difficult terrain to establish hideouts from where they attacked 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, adding that drones and other intelligence-gathering technologies had been deployed.
He attributed the success of the operation to the leadership of the Inspector-General of Police and the support of Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun for providing the necessary logistics.
“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 Usofor Amarachi, said she was returning from her father’s burial in Oraifite, Anambra State, when gunmen attacked their vehicle near Ogbere.
She said her widowed mother was shot in the hand, while her mother and elder sister escaped during the chaos. However, she and one of her aunts were abducted and taken into the forest.
“The kidnappers initially demanded N70 million but later reduced it to N20 million. There were five of them. We slept in the open without food or water,” she said.
She recalled that they initially feared the sound of gunfire meant the kidnappers had returned, only to discover that police officers had launched a rescue operation.
“I am grateful to God for the prompt intervention, and I will forever remain grateful to the Nigeria Police,” she said.
Another rescued victim, Miss Temi Faith, said the kidnappers ambushed their vehicle at about 4 p.m. on Friday and marched them deep into the forest after collecting their phones and money.
“I had already given up hope. Suddenly, we heard gunshots. The kidnappers fled, and a police officer came to us saying, ‘It’s the Nigeria Police. Come out.’ They saved our lives, treated my injuries and ensured we were safe,” she said.
Mr. Jimoh Gbadamosi, another victim, said the gunmen intercepted several vehicles around Ogbere, abducting five people from three vehicles after opening fire.
He commended the police for the rescue operation and urged the Federal Government to provide security agencies with more sophisticated weapons and establish permanent security posts along the Ijebu-Ode-Benin Expressway.
An emotional moment unfolded when Mrs. Blessing Nsofor, who escaped despite sustaining a gunshot wound, arrived from the hospital and knelt before police officers in appreciation.
“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 two daughters and my sister who travelled with us for my husband’s burial,” she said.
She recounted how she fled with blood-soaked clothes, was rejected by three hospitals before receiving treatment at a general hospital, and thanked the police for rescuing her relatives.
Meanwhile, relatives of the rescued victims were reportedly still struggling to raise the ransom demanded by the kidnappers before news of their rescue reached them.
