Security operatives have successfully rescued seven students of Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Saapade, Ogun State, after eight days in captivity.
The students, who were taken from a private hostel in Ipara-Remo on July 29, regained their freedom following a coordinated, intelligence-led operation involving multiple security agencies.
Announcing the successful rescue in Abeokuta, Governor Dapo Abiodun said all seven students were rescued alive through a coordinated operation involving ground troops and aerial surveillance.
The Governor disclosed that immediately after the abduction was reported, security agencies launched a large-scale search-and-rescue mission across the affected communities and adjoining forests.
Abiodun said he requested additional aerial support from the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, on August 3. A police helicopter was deployed the same day to complement ongoing ground operations, which eventually led security operatives to the kidnappers’ hideout.
He described the operation as proof of the effectiveness of intelligence sharing, inter-agency collaboration and sustained operational pressure, while reaffirming the state’s commitment to tackling rising security threats around educational institutions.
“Our work is not finished. We will dismantle every criminal network responsible for this attack. Ogun State will not provide a haven for kidnappers or other criminal elements,” the Governor said.
Abiodun reiterated the state’s commitment to strengthening its security architecture through increased investment in intelligence gathering, surveillance technology, inter-agency coordination, rapid-response capabilities and community-based policing.
He added that the state government had expanded support for the Amotekun Corps, local vigilantes and other security agencies, particularly around schools, major highways and border communities considered vulnerable to criminal activities.
The Governor stressed that protecting lives and property remains central to the state’s development agenda, noting that sustained security is critical to safeguarding educational institutions, attracting investment and promoting economic growth.
He commended the Nigeria Police Force, the Armed Forces, the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Ogun State Security Network Agency (Amotekun Corps), local vigilantes, traditional rulers, community leaders and hunters for providing intelligence that contributed to the rescue.
The Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, said one of the rescued students sustained a gunshot wound during the abduction but was promptly evacuated for medical treatment and has since been stabilised. He also confirmed that no ransom was paid for the students’ release.
“It was purely an operational success. Five victims were rescued in the early hours of Thursday and taken for medical attention before being reunited with their families. Our helicopter and ground forces later stormed the kidnappers’ hideout and rescued the remaining two victims,” Ojajuni said.
The police commissioner disclosed that two suspected kidnappers had been arrested and were assisting investigators, while security operatives continued the manhunt for other members of the criminal network.
