With kidnappings spreading across communities and criminal gangs operating along border routes linking Ogun and Oyo states, residents fear the recent school attack in Oyo has become a disturbing reminder that no community may be safe unless urgent security measures are taken, writes BANKOLE TAIWO

The serenity of Ipojo Golden Estate in Oke Eri, Ijebu Ode, located in the Ijebu Ode Local Government Area of Ogun State, was recently shattered when about 15 heavily armed gunmen stormed the community in a commando-style operation around 7 p.m., firing sporadically and throwing residents into panic.

By the time calm was restored, three members of a family had reportedly been abducted, while a woman sustained gunshot injuries during the attack.

The assailants were said to have invaded the family residence, ransacked the house and whisked away the victims.

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, said the command had activated tactical and intelligence-driven operations aimed at rescuing the victims and apprehending the perpetrators.

A community leader in the area, Mr Kehinde, described the incident as disturbing and called on the government to strengthen security in the community.

“We never imagined such an incident could happen in this community. Residents were caught unawares because this is considered a peaceful and developed area,” he said.

He appealed to the government and security agencies to intensify efforts toward securing the release of the abducted victims.

The head of the Badewa family in Ijebu Ode, Mr Yesiru Badewa, whose relatives were kidnapped, said the incident had left the family devastated.

According to him, the victims included two women and a man. He also expressed concern over the health condition of one of the abducted women, whom he said had been ill before the incident.

“We are deeply worried because one of the women is sick, and the hardship in captivity may worsen her condition,” he said.

Badewa appealed to the state government and well-meaning Nigerians to support efforts aimed at rescuing the victims.

However, in a statement issued on Saturday, the police spokesperson, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, disclosed that the victims regained their freedom unharmed around 7:30 p.m. on Thursday after being released by their captors following the payment of an unspecified ransom.

Following the victims’ release, Babaseyi said operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad intensified efforts to track down members of the gang responsible for the abduction.

He stated, “Consequently, on May 15, 2026, at about 5:00 a.m., operatives acting on credible intelligence stormed the kidnappers’ hideout located along the Ijebu-Ode/Ibadan Road axis of Ogun State.

“On sighting the police operatives, the suspects opened fire, leading to a fierce gun duel.

“The operatives responded professionally, resulting in the neutralisation of two suspected kidnappers, while other members of the gang escaped into the surrounding forest with varying degrees of bullet injuries.

“Further intelligence-led follow-up operations led to the arrest of the suspected kingpin, Seriki Mohammed Abdullahi, and another gang member, Mohammed Bello, alongside the recovery of additional incriminating exhibits linked to the criminal operation.

“The corpses of the neutralised suspects have been deposited at a morgue for autopsy in line with standard procedure, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend fleeing members of the syndicate.

“All recovered exhibits have been secured, while investigations continue to unravel the full network of the gang and facilitate the prosecution of the arrested suspects.”

The Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, who commended the operatives for their gallantry, professionalism and resilience, reiterated the command’s unwavering commitment to combating kidnapping and other violent crimes across the state.

However, in a recent statement, the National Coordinator of the Food and Farmers’ Rights Campaign, John Eko, condemned the incessant abductions of residents, particularly farmers, across the Ijebu axis and other parts of Ogun State.

The group also decried what it described as the ineptitude of security agencies, especially the police, as well as the perceived insensitivity of the Dapo Abiodun-led administration in the face of worsening insecurity.

Eko said, “We call on the security agencies and the Ogun State Government to wake up from their self-induced slumber and prioritise the security of lives and property by tackling the escalating spate of kidnappings and banditry with all the seriousness it deserves.

“FFRC notes that Ijebuland in particular, and Ogun State in general, has become a safe haven for criminal gangs, including terrorists, kidnappers, bandits and armed robbers who are operating freely and perpetrating their criminal activities unchallenged.”

The group further alleged that the Ikangba/Agoro-Okun Owa axis of the Old Lagos-Benin Road in Odogbolu Local Government Area — home to one of the largest catfish farming clusters and processing hubs in the state — has become a hotspot for kidnappers.

According to the group, since February 9, 2026, when Mr Adams Omamegbe and four others were abducted at the Alayo Fish Farm Cluster in Agoro Town, incidents of kidnapping have become frequent along the route.

Eko added, “In fact, on March 31, 2026, just weeks after Mr Adams and the other victims regained their freedom, Mr Adewale Amusa, a poultry farmer from Ayepe Town, was also abducted a few metres away from the same Alayo Fish Farm Cluster where the first incident occurred.

“Again, on April 24, 2026, another victim, Mr Osidipe Olusoji, a retired Railway Corporation worker, was kidnapped.”

The group alleged that while Omamegbe reportedly paid N70 million as ransom, Amusa was said to have paid N200 million before regaining freedom, with the ransoms allegedly delivered in Kwara State.

The group further stated: “Our demand is that the government and security agencies, especially the Nigeria Police Force, should comb the forests where these criminals are reportedly hiding, including the Agoro-Okun Owa axis, dislodge them, arrest and prosecute them, as well as their sponsors and collaborators.”

Also speaking with our correspondent, the Ogun State Chairman of the Coalition of Civil Societies and Pro-Democracy Groups, Barrister Solomon Bankole, lamented the growing security challenges in the state and urged the government and security agencies to intensify efforts to tackle the situation.

Bankole said the recent school attack and mass abduction of students and teachers in neighbouring Oyo State should serve as a wake-up call for Ogun State authorities.

He said: “The growing rate of insecurity and abductions in the country is becoming alarming, especially with the recent kidnapping of about 45 students and teachers in Oyo State. This incident should serve as a serious warning to neighbouring states like Ogun.

“The Ogun State Government must act proactively by strengthening security around schools, border communities and other vulnerable areas. Security agencies should also work closely with local vigilantes and community leaders to improve intelligence gathering and rapid response to threats.

“As residents, many people are deeply worried because insecurity breeds fear and negatively affects education, businesses and peaceful coexistence.

“Government and citizens must therefore work together through vigilance and collective responsibility to prevent such incidents from happening in our state.”

Another resident, Adisa Adeleye, expressed concern over the increasing activities of kidnappers in border communities around Ogunmakin and neighbouring Oyo communities such as Seriki, Aboloye and Araromi.

Adeleye said: “The kidnappings around Ogunmakin mostly occur in neighbouring Oyo communities that share boundaries with Ogun State, but some of the victims are residents of Ogunmakin who work in those areas.

“Last month, one of the four abducted victims, a pregnant woman who resides in Ogunmakin, was reportedly released after more than N10 million was paid as ransom.

“Two staff members of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company were also abducted and were only released after huge sums of money were reportedly paid.

“With the recent attack on a school in Oyo State and the abduction of students and teachers, it is important for the Ogun State Government and security agencies to remain on high alert and deploy more personnel across vulnerable areas to protect residents and combat these criminals.”

Also speaking, the National President of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, Mr Yinka Folarin, said the rising wave of insecurity and abductions in Ogun and neighbouring states is deeply disturbing and deserves strong condemnation.

Folarin described the recent abduction of students and teachers in Oyo State as a serious warning sign that no state is immune from the growing insecurity across the country.

He said, “The government has a constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property, and citizens should not have to live in fear of kidnappers and violent criminals.

“Ogun State, being a major gateway state, must not remain reactive. The government needs to urgently strengthen intelligence gathering, improve security surveillance around border communities, forests and highways, and enhance collaboration among security agencies to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the state.

“It must also be stated that Ogun State has not done enough in empowering local security outfits such as the So-Safe Corps and the Amotekun Corps.

“These agencies understand the local terrain and can play a major role in tackling insecurity, but inadequate funding, poor logistics and lack of tactical equipment have made security less visible across the state.”

Folarin further urged the government and the State Security Trust Fund to prioritise the provision of patrol vehicles, communication gadgets, surveillance technology and other tactical equipment needed to strengthen security operations and ensure rapid response to threats.

Speaking with our correspondent, the Special Adviser to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Security, retired AIG Olusola Subair, said the state government was aware of the recent upsurge in kidnapping cases and was already collaborating with security agencies to tackle the challenge.

Subair said, “We are conversant with the security situation. We are aware of the recent upsurge in kidnapping, but the security agencies have been given marching orders to deal decisively with the situation, and they have been doing just that.

“The police recently engaged some kidnappers and neutralised two of them, while two others were arrested. We are monitoring the situation closely and will not allow any form of infiltration into Ogun State.”

Also reacting to enquiries from our correspondent, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, said the Commissioner of Police, CP Bode Ojajuni, has remained proactive, intelligence-driven and firmly committed to strengthening the state’s security architecture in response to emerging security threats across the country.

He stated, “As a strategic gateway state, the command has continued to tighten all loose ends through coordinated policing strategies, enhanced surveillance, aggressive patrols and sustained intelligence gathering aimed at denying criminal elements any opportunity to infiltrate or operate within Ogun State.”

Babaseyi said the command had significantly reinforced the operational capacity of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad, tactical units, surveillance teams and other specialised formations, with clear directives to sustain round-the-clock visibility policing, raids on criminal hideouts, stop-and-search operations and confidence-building patrols across vulnerable areas, highways, border communities and forest corridors.

According to him, the proactive measures have continued to yield positive results through arrests, recoveries and the disruption of criminal activities.

He added that, in line with the Inspector-General of Police’s Safe School Protection Initiative, the command had also strengthened the operations of the School Protection Squad to guarantee the safety and security of students, teachers and educational institutions across the state.

The Police Public Relations Officer further revealed that Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers had been directed to maintain strategic deployment of both overt and covert operatives around schools, while also strengthening engagement with school administrators, parents, community leaders and local security stakeholders to ensure early threat detection and rapid response.

He added that the command had continued to maintain robust inter-agency collaboration and intelligence sharing with other security agencies and neighbouring police commands to ensure coordinated responses to security threats.

Babaseyi said: “The command wishes to assure residents that there is no cause for panic, as adequate security measures remain firmly in place to protect lives and property across Ogun State.”

While residents acknowledged the government’s renewed security plans and assurances, many insisted that translating those strategies into concrete action capable of dispelling the growing fears over insecurity across the state should remain the immediate priority of both the government and security agencies before the situation deteriorates further.

(Punch News)

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