Again, Ogun police in gun duel with kidnappers, kill one, arrest another
Bankole Taiwo, Abeokuta
Barely 24 hours after Ogun State Police Command killed two members of a kidnap syndicate at Itori area of Ewekoro local government, the command in another encounter on Monday arrested a member of a kidnap gang while one was gunned down at Ilala forest in Imala area of Abeokuta North local government area of the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer for the state command, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi made this disclosure in a statement made available to the journalists on Tuesday.
The gun battle between the police and the kidnappers according to the statement, was as a result of information received by the police at Imala divisional headquarters that six armed kidnappers were sighted in the forest.
The statement revealed further that upon this information, the DPO Imala Division, CSP Bernard Ediagbonya was said to have quickly mobilized his men, the hunters, vigilante men, So Safe corps as well as Fulani youths and stormed the forest.
On getting to the scene, the hoodlums, who were said to have sighted the team from afar opened fire on them, and the team engaged them in gun duel.
During this gun duel, one of the hoodlums was said to have been gunned down, while another one who identified himself as Usman Maidama was arrested. Other members of the gang were also said to have escaped into the bush with gunshot injuries.
Recovered from them are: one single barrel gun, one face mask and two pairs of sandal.
The command stated that its onslaught operations against bandits have been yeilding positive results with four AK-47 rifles recovered from the hoodlums within the last three weeks, while some of the bandits have met their waterloo during exchange of fire within the same period.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Edward Awolowo Ajogun, who expressed satisfaction with the consistent fight against criminals by men of the command has ordered the transfer of the case to anti kidnapping unit of the state criminal investigation and intelligence department for discreet investigation, while assuring the good people of the state that the clampdown on hoodlums in every part of the state will be a continuous exercise.
The CP has equally directed that the escaped members of the gang be hunted for, and brought to justice as soon as possible.
