Policemen storm kidnappers’ hideout at Kara, rescue victim, arrest one suspect

By Kolawole Olayinka, Abeokuta

Men of the Ogun State Police Command have invaded the hideout of kidnappers who have been terrorizing the Long Bridge end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway at Kara and arrested one member of the gang.

A kidnap victim, Sheu Anafi was rescued unhurt, according to a statement by the state’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Abimbola Oyeyemi on Sunday.

Oyeyemi explained that men of the Command took the battle to the doorstep of the hoodlums following a report lodged at Warewa Divisional Headquarters by a commercial driver, who reported that while he was coming from Ilorin in his Ford commercial car with registration number LRN 596 ZY, loaded with seven passengers, on getting to the Long Bridge, there was traffic jam consequence upon which he drove through the untarred access road besides the bridge. 

The statement added: “While driving through the said access road, they were attacked by some unknown gunmen which made all the passengers to run into different directions in the nearby bush.

“But when they all regrouped to continue their journey, it was discovered that one of the passengers by name Alhaji Sheu Anafi from Okeleele area of Ilorin had been abducted by the hoodlums. 

“Upon the report, the DPO Warewa Division, CSP Abdul Fatai Ogunsanya led a joint operation consisting men of the command’s tactical teams, local vigilantes, So Safe Corps and OPC men for bush combing in search of the abducted man.

“Their efforts yielded positive result when the hideout of the kidnappers was located and the security operatives engaged them in gun battle. 

“At the end of the encounter, one of the kidnappers, Ibraheem Abubakar who claimed to have come from Sabonganmu-Bompai road, Kano State, was arrested while others escaped with varying degrees of gunshot injuries, and the victim, 62 years old Sheu Anafi was rescued unhurt. 

“The suspect has confessed been a member of a seven-man gang terrorizing the stretch of the long bridge in recent time. 

“Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole has ordered the immediate transfer of the suspect to the state Criminal Investigation Department for discreet investigation.

“The CP also appealed to members of the public, especially hospitals to inform the police if anybody with gunshot injury is seen in their area.”