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)
The prosecution on Wednesday presented five witnesses and video evidence at the trial of content creator Ifeanyi Ogbonna, popularly known as Odogwu Asaba, over alleged rape and manslaughter in connection with the death of 20-year-old Favour Agbro.
The witnesses included Agbro’s twin sister, brother and father, the doctor who conducted the post-mortem examination, and an investigating police officer. The case is being heard by the Delta State High Court in Asaba.
However, the defence counsel requested more time to study the statements of the prosecution witnesses and the additional evidence served on the defence.
Speaking after the proceedings, the prosecution said it was prepared to proceed with the case but acknowledged the need to allow the defence adequate time to examine the materials.
The prosecution team was led by the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary of the Delta State Ministry of Justice, Omamuzo Erebe, SAN, alongside the Director of Public Prosecutions, Tejiri Anuhwin, and other state counsel.
Ogbonna had pleaded not guilty to the charges on October 21, 2026, before Justice Michael Nduka Obi. The allegations relate to Agbro’s death in June 2026.
The court adjourned the case until November 19, 2026, for the continuation of the trial, when the prosecution is expected to proceed with its witnesses and evidence.
Recall that the court had remanded the content creator at the Ogwashi-Uku Maximum Correctional Centre after he was arrested and arraigned following allegations of raping Agbro, who later died after ingesting a toxic substance.
The Ebonyi State Police Command has arrested a man, Ugwumba Enyinnaya, for allegedly impersonating a lawyer and practising for more than 11 years.
The state Police Public Relations Officerzz, SP Joshua Ukandu, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, saying the arrest followed an investigation into a petition alleging obtaining money by false pretence.
According to the police, the suspect allegedly collected ₦650,000 from one Chukwu David in March 2026 to facilitate the processing and approval of a street naming in Ohaozara Local Government Area.
The petitioner alleged that Enyinnaya presented himself as a lawyer with years of legal experience.
The police said investigations following his arrest revealed that he had been parading himself as a legal practitioner despite not being a lawyer.
During interrogation, the suspect admitted that he was not a lawyer, according to the statement.
“A search of his apartment led to the recovery of several exhibits, including a Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) seal; a portrait of the suspect dressed in barrister’s regalia; purported Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) and Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree certificates for the suspect bearing the name of Enugu State University of Science and Technology; a barrister’s robe and wig; judgements allegedly procured from the court and various legal documents allegedly prepared by him, including powers of attorney and deeds of conveyance,” the statement said.
The police said the suspect had been charged to court.
The Commissioner of Police in Ebonyi State, CP Hope Okafor, commended the operatives for uncovering the alleged impersonation and urged members of the public to verify the credentials of people offering legal services.
A yet-to-be-identified motorcycle operator has been killed, and two others injured, after a speeding driver, allegedly fleeing police officers, knocked down three motorcycle riders on Liasu Road in the Idimu area of Lagos State.
The incident occurred on Saturday night during a police chase involving a vehicle suspected to belong to Internet fraudsters.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the driver allegedly lost control of the vehicle while attempting to escape from the pursuing officers and knocked down the three motorcycle riders in the process.
One of the riders was said to have died on the spot, while the two others sustained injuries.
It was gathered that the driver and other occupants of the vehicle abandoned it and fled after realising what had happened.
An eyewitness who gave his name simply as Wahab said the vehicle was being chased from the Ile-Iwe end of the road towards the Council bus stop.
He said, “They were coming from the Ile-Iwe side when police officers in a minibus tried to stop them. It was in the process that they increased their speed and drove recklessly.
“It was when the driver lost control that he ran into the okada riders. The one directly hit died on the spot, and the driver and other male adults in the vehicle ran out of the vehicle and fled.”
The vehicle was subsequently towed to the nearest police station, while the injured victims were taken to a nearby hospital.
The incident, however, sparked a protest by commercial motorcycle riders operating along Powerline and Liasu roads, as they stopped conveying passengers to demand justice for their colleagues.
According to another resident, Titi Jayeoba, the protest left several residents stranded as they struggled to find alternative means of transportation.
“We were stranded on Sunday after the okada riders refused to operate. People who depend on motorcycles to get to church and other places were stranded. The tricycles available could not carry everybody, so many people found it difficult to get to their destinations.
“And some were not even interested in tricycles because they would not take them into their streets,” Jayeoba stated.
It was gathered that normalcy had since returned to the area after the motorcycle operators resumed operations later in the evening.
The deceased victim was also said to have been buried according to Islamic rites.
When contacted on Tuesday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, said she was not aware of the incident. She, however, promised to revert.
