Operatives of the Ogun Police Command on Thursday reportedly engaged suspected kidnappers in a gun duel and killed five of them.
The kidnappers numbering eight were said to have been responsible for the kidnapping of Tunde Osifowokan, the farm manager of Flourishing Poultry Farm, Idowa in Odogbolu Local Government area, Ogun State.
The masked gunmen reportedly stormed the poultry farm on Monday shooting sporadically after which they abducted Osifowokan said to be the younger brother of the owner of the farm.
The hoodlums were said to have demanded for the whereabout of the owner of the farm after which his younger brother stood up to say that the farm owner was not around.
On getting to know that the young man is the brother of their target, the kidnappers were said to have whisked him away amidst heavy shooting.
The Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu said the police had been on the trail of the armed gang since the incident was reported.
Alamutu said the command’s operatives stormed the kidnappers’ hideout on Thursday and engaged them in a gun battle
He said “at about 4am on Thursday morning, our anti-kidnapping unit stormed the kidnappers hideout at Odogbolu forest along Sagamu-Benin express way.
“The kidnappers engaged the squad in a fierce gun battle during when five of them, out of about eight were neutralised while the rest escaped with bullet wounds.
“Exhibits recovered from the dead among the kidnappers are cash sum of N1,185, 070 suspected to be part of the ransom the kidnappers had collected.
“Other exhibits are one sword, cellphones, substances suspected to be hard drugs, charms, empty shells of AK47 riffle and sticks.”
Alamutu also said that the victim, Tunde Osifowokan, was rescued unhurt.
He said corpses of the kidnappers were deposited at the morgue of a General Hospital for autopsy.
The CP said that the command has intensified efforts to arrest all the fleeing suspects.
