The joint security operation between the Ogun and Lagos State Police Commands has rescued five kidnapped victims and neutralised four suspected kidnappers during a coordinated operation in Ogun.
The Commissioners of Police in Ogun and Lagos states, Mr Bode Ojajuni and Mr Fatai Tijani, disclosed this while briefing newsmen on Saturday at the Police Training School, Iperu.
Ojajuni said the five victims were rescued unhurt from a forest around Ogbere, along the J4 corridor of the Sagamu-Benin Expressway.
He explained that four suspected kidnappers were neutralised, while another four were arrested following a gun duel with security operatives.
The commissioner said the success of the operation was achieved through the directives of the Inspector-General of Police (I-GP), Mr Olatunji Disu and the commitment of officers involved.
He added that the Nigeria Police Force had inaugurated Operation “Kosaye” in Lagos and Ogun states to tackle criminal activities and reassure residents of adequate security.
According to him, the operation was formally launched on the directive of the I-G with the support of the governors of both states.
“Operation “Kosaye” means there is no space for criminals and criminality within Lagos and Ogun states.Africans & Diaspora
“The initiative aims to eliminate banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes across the two neighbouring states.
“It also targets criminal hideouts in forests and other ungoverned spaces used by suspected criminals,” he said.
Ojajuni said extensive operations had been conducted across several communities in both states, including Ogere, Ijebu-Ode, Ajebandele and the J4 corridor in Ogun.
He disclosed that 84 additional suspects were apprehended across Lagos and Ogun during the operation.
According to him, the police recovered AK-47 rifles, other assault weapons, locally made pistols, battle axes, ammunition, mobile phones and other exhibits linked to criminal activities.
The commissioner reaffirmed the police’s commitment to ensuring the safety of lives and property in both states.
He reiterated that the operation would continue and could eventually be extended to other parts of the country.
In his remarks, Tijani dismissed widespread rumours that bandits had infiltrated and taken over parts of Lagos and Ogun, saying ongoing security operations had proved such claims to be false.
He said the joint operation, initiated by the IGP, involved coordinated security sweeps across border communities, forests and other identified criminal hideouts stretching from Lagos into Ogun state.
According to him, the exercise has already yielded significant results, including the arrest of suspects, rescue of victims and recovery of weapons and other exhibits.
“Our personnel thoroughly combed forests and other identified locations, and the operation is not a one-off exercise. It will continue for as long as necessary to keep our communities safe,” he said.
Tijani said the IGP had directed commissioners of police in neighbouring states to collaborate closely in securing border corridors and dismantling criminal networks operating across state boundaries.
He commended the governors of Lagos and Ogun for providing the logistics and support that made the operation possible.
“The results speak for themselves. You have seen the rescued victims, the suspects arrested and the recoveries made. This is evidence that we are serious about securing our people,” he said.
He urged residents to remain calm and continue supporting the police with credible information, assuring them that the force remained committed to safeguarding lives and property.
Speaking with journalists after his rescue, one of the victims, Mr Jimoh Badamosi, 58, recounted his ordeal in the hands of the kidnappers and praised the police for securing their freedom.
Badamosi said he was travelling to Ibadan when armed men attacked motorists around the Ogbere Forest, shooting sporadically before forcing occupants out of their vehicles.
According to him, the gunmen collected their mobile phones, wallets and other valuables before marching five victims from three different vehicles into the forest.
He said the kidnappers later demanded ransom, asking his family to pay N40 million, while his colleague was asked to produce N30 million.
The victim said they had spent less than 24 hours in captivity when they suddenly heard gunshots, forcing the kidnappers to flee.
“We later heard the kidnappers saying the Nigeria Police had come. They ordered us to lie down, but when we heard police officers calling out, we crawled towards them and were rescued,” he said.
Badamosi commended the police and urged them not to relent in the fight against kidnapping.
He also appealed to the Federal Government to equip the police with more sophisticated weapons, establish additional security checkpoints and ensure forests are properly secured.
Other rescued victims also narrated their experiences and appreciated the police for the swift response that led to their rescue alive. (NAN)
One hundred and thirty persons have been arrested after men of the Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI raided a suspected fraud compound in Ghana and arrested more than 130 people.
The FBI Director, Kash Patel, disclosed this in a post shared on his official X account on Thursday.
Patel said the operation, codenamed “Operation Blackout”, was carried out in the week as part of the FBI’s efforts to dismantle global scam centres.
“OPERATION BLACKOUT: This is the FBI’s global scam-centre fraud demolition. Another takedown this week out of Ghana,” Patel wrote.
He said the operation had so far resulted in nearly $10m in identified losses, 89 victims identified, more than 130 individuals arrested or detained, including victims who would be repatriated to their home countries, and more than 300 devices seized.
“Investigation is ongoing. These scam compounds target American citizens and destroy lives – and this @FBI is crushing them in every corner of the world. More to come,” he said.
Patel also gave an update on the overall Operation Blackout figures, saying roughly $17bn had been seized, hundreds of alleged scammers arrested and thousands of trafficked workers freed.
He added that more than 10,000 Americans had been warned before losing their money, while an estimated $670m in losses had been prevented.
The Ogun State Police Command has arrested a suspect, Adewale Arojah, identified as a prophet’s son, for allegedly impersonating a renowned cleric on Facebook and defrauding multiple victims of over N18m under the guise of offering prayers and spiritual assistance.
According to a statement by the command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Oluseyi Babaseyi, on Thursday, the arrest followed a complaint lodged on October 3, 2026, by Muyiwa Akogun, popularly known on Facebook as “Prophet Dr. Muyiwa Akogun”.
The command said Akogun alerted the police after members of the public complained about “fraudulent activities being perpetrated in his name through a duplicated Facebook profile.”
“Upon receipt of the complaint, the Divisional Police Officer, Ilaro Division, immediately detailed intelligence and detective operatives to track down the perpetrator,” the statement said.
It added that “through sustained technological monitoring and intelligence-led analysis, the suspect was tracked to a nearby village in Ajegunle, via the Ilaro/Ibogun axis, where he was successfully apprehended.”
The police said the suspect confessed during interrogation to impersonating the cleric on Facebook.
“During a rigorous interrogation, the suspect confessed to impersonating the real Prophet Akogun on Facebook.
“He admitted to using the cleric’s identity to deliver fake prophecies and offer prayer services to vulnerable individuals, thereby defrauding victims residing both within Nigeria and in the diaspora,” Babaseyi said.
The command said preliminary investigations showed that the suspect allegedly targeted people seeking spiritual assistance through the prophet’s Facebook page.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect systematically targeted victims seeking spiritual assistance on the said prophet’s Facebook page, gains their trust and swindled them of funds amounting to over ₦18 million,” it said.
The suspect has since been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Eleweran, Abeokuta, for further investigation.
The command said the investigation would be used to ascertain the extent of the crime, identify potential accomplices, and ensure possible prosecution.
The command said the arrest was part of its efforts to tackle online fraud and identity theft in the state.
“The swift arrest highlights the Ogun State Police Command’s resolve to dismantle online fraud networks, curb identity theft, and deny cybercriminals safe space to operate across the state,” Babaseyi said.
The Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command, Bode Ojajuni, commended the Ilaro operatives for what the statement described as their “vigilance, tactical discipline, and swift response”.
The CP also reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting residents from digital and physical threats.
The command advised members of the public to exercise caution when dealing with religious leaders and public figures on social media.
“The Command advises members of the public to exercise caution and due diligence when engaging with religious leaders or public figures on social media platforms,” the statement said.
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has summoned heads of security agencies in the state to a meeting following a spike in security breaches, particularly recent killings involving rival cult groups in the state.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Samuel Ojo, disclosed this during an exclusive interview with The PUNCH, saying the meeting would be held on Wednesday.
Ojo said the meeting would deliberate on and address the killings by suspected cultists in the state.
He added that the meeting would also discuss measures to make forests in the state safer, in view of the recent killing of an ISWAP leader in Owo, Ondo State.
“We are holding a security meeting on Wednesday, by the special grace of God, to reassure our people and put our security agencies on their toes.
“What happened in Ondo is a lesson to those criminals hibernating in the forests.
We will not take it lightly with anyone using the forest as a hideout,” he said.
He further said, “Aside from that, we are also using the meeting to address the incessant killings by rival cult groups in the past weeks.
“We need to meet and discuss how to stop these killings by cult groups or any other violent crimes hiding under that canopy.”
The governor’s aide, who stressed the need to stop the killings to protect Osun’s corporate image, warned perpetrators of violent crimes to desist or face dire consequences.
“We need to stop it, so as not to give our state a bad name, because nobody knows what they are fighting for or why they are killing themselves,” Ojo said.
The PUNCH reports that two separate attacks by members of rival cult groups, which occurred in Osogbo, the state capital, between last Friday and Sunday, left two people dead and about five others injured.
In reaction to the latest cult attack, the Osun State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Zungura, subsequently ordered tactical teams to raid suspected criminal hideouts in Osogbo.
