Five students of Gateway ICT Polytechnic have narrated their terrifying experience after regaining freedom from kidnappers who abducted them along the Isara-Ode road in Ogun State.
The victims, made up of four male students and one female student, were rescued after spending days in captivity following what began as a routine outing to buy food.
The incident occurred barely 48 hours after suspected gunmen attacked students of Olabisi Onabanjo University at the institution’s Ibogun campus.
Speaking with DAILY POST, the students described how armed men posing as security operatives intercepted their ash-coloured Toyota vehicle on a bridge in Remo North Local Government Area.
According to the victims, the gunmen used torchlights to signal them to stop, creating the impression that they were policemen on duty.
“We were coming from a restaurant when they suddenly stopped us. They flashed torchlights like security officers and before we knew what was happening, we heard a gunshot,” one of the students, identified simply as Taye, recounted.
The students said the kidnappers, said to be about 12 in number, forcefully opened the vehicle, dispossessed them of phones, jewellery and other valuables before marching them deep into the forest.
The victims revealed that they trekked for nearly three hours through thick bushes before they were allowed to contact their families for ransom negotiations.
Taye disclosed that the abductors initially demanded N20 million ransom for each of the students.
“At some point, they threatened to kill us if the ransom was not paid. They pointed guns at us repeatedly,” he said.
Another victim stated that the owner and driver of the vehicle, who was reportedly shot in the leg during the attack, was asked to pay N40 million, while the others were ordered to produce N20 million each.
The students further alleged that the kidnappers appeared to have extensive knowledge of the local terrain.
According to one of the victims, the abductors reacted angrily after being referred to as Fulani men during their captivity.
“One of us called them Fulani and they became furious immediately. They pointed a gun at him, and from that reaction we believed they were Fulani,” the victim claimed.
Confirming the rescue operation, the spokesperson of the Ogun State Police Command, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, said operatives swiftly launched a coordinated search after receiving distress reports.
He explained that security operatives found the students’ abandoned vehicle riddled with bullet holes and bloodstains at the scene of the abduction.
According to him, officers from the Isara Area Command, Ipara Division, SWAT, Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Violent Crime Response Unit, Quick Response Squad and OP MESA participated in the operation that eventually led to the victims’ rescue.
Speaking after handing over the students to the school authorities, the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, said operatives engaged the kidnappers in a gun battle before overpowering them.
“The sustained operational pressure led to the successful rescue of the five victims. During the operation, the kidnappers engaged our men in a gun duel but were overwhelmed by superior firepower and tactical response,” the commissioner stated.
He added that the kidnappers escaped with suspected gunshot injuries, while no casualty was recorded among security personnel.
Ojajuni assured residents and educational institutions across the state that the command had intensified security measures around campuses and student communities.
He urged school managements to maintain close collaboration with the police and promptly report emergencies or suspicious activities.
The police commissioner also warned criminal elements to either abandon crime or face the full weight of the law.
Reacting to the rescue, the Deputy Rector of Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Mr Taiwo Ogunyinka, commended the police for their swift intervention and presented an appreciation letter to the command on behalf of the institution’s governing council.
Similarly, the institution’s Students’ Union Government President, Comrade Akinpelu Timothy, praised the police for rescuing the students safely, noting that the operation had restored confidence among students about their safety on campus.
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