A member of a kidnap syndicate was killed and another one arrested during a gun battle with security operatives in Ogun State, Southwest Nigeria, police in the state said.
Abimbola Oyeyemi, Police spokesperson in the state said in a statement issued on Tuesday, Aug. 31 that the incident took place in Imala area of Abeokuta North Local Government Areaof the state.
Oyeyemi said that the gun battle between police operatives and the kidnap syndicate followed an intelligence at Imala Divisional Headquarters that âsix armed kidnappers were sighted in the forest.â
He disclosed that the divisional police officer in charge of Imala Division âmobilised men, hunters, vigilante men, as well as Fulani youthsâ who went after the kidnappers.
âOn getting to the scene, the hoodlums who sighted the team from afar opened fire and the team responded appropriately,â the police spokesperson said in the statement.
He added that âone of the hoodlums was gunned down, while another one who identified himself as Usman Maidama was arrested and other members of the gang escaped into the bush with gunshot injuries.ââ
Oyeyemi said that the police crackdown on criminal gangs had been yielding results as âfour AK 47 rifles had been recovered from hoodlums in the last three weeks.â
The other items recovered from the commandâs latest operation include a single barrel gun, one face mask and two pairs of sandals.
He stated that Edward Ajogun, Commissioner of Police in the state had ordered that members of the syndicate who escaped be hunted and brought to justice.
HumAngle had earlier reported that police killed two suspected members of a kidnap gang on Monday, Aug. 30.
On Aug. 21, the Ogun State Police had a similar shootout situation at Onigaari area, Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
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