How rescued Ogun students survived days of ordeal, beatings, crossfire
Four Students Kidnapped from Ogun State Polytechnic, Rescued After Intense Standoff
Saapade, Ogun State — Four students from Gateway ICT Polytechnic found themselves in life-threatening danger late Wednesday after a violent kidnapping unfolded at their private hostel in Ipara-Remo, a nearby community.
The incident began shortly after 8 p.m. as the students relaxed in their rented apartment. Outside, the peaceful evening turned chaotic with the sounds of gunfire and shouts for help. One student had stepped out to buy dinner when he heard rapid gunfire and cries of “Ole, Ole,” a local expression meaning “thief.” Fearing for their safety, the remaining students quickly locked themselves in a small bathroom, hoping to avoid detection by the armed assailants.
In a desperate attempt to seek help, one of the students tried to contact local police but was thwarted by poor network connectivity. Their hopes of safety dimmed as the attackers searched each room, ultimately forcing their way into the bathroom. Following a brief confrontation, the students were ordered to come out, threatened with violence.
“Every bag was searched, and they began questioning us,” one survivor recounted. The assailants accused them of engaging in cybercrime and insisted that relatives would have to pay a ransom for their freedom.
Initially, the kidnappers demanded ransom amounts as hefty as 30 million naira per person but later adjusted their demands, ranging from 5 million to 50 million naira for individual hostages. The students were subjected to physical abuse and extreme deprivation, deprived of sunlight and often blindfolded.
During their captivity, the students had minimal food and clean water, and one even expressed a willingness to be killed rather than endure further suffering. Their ordeal included a forced march through dense forests and across rivers at night, with the kidnappers closely monitoring their actions and subjecting them to brutality.
Unknown to the kidnappers, security forces were conducting air surveillance and ground operations to track the group. Two days into the hostage situation, the sound of a drone indicated that help was near. As police commandos engaged the kidnappers, a chaotic firefight ensued, prompting the hostages to make their escape amidst the confusion.
One student described a moment of harrowing uncertainty when he was shot in the leg but played dead to avoid further attention. After the dust settled, he cried out for assistance when he recognized the voice of a police officer nearby.
Upon confirmation of their identities as victims, the police rescued him and subsequently found another student hiding nearby. The experience profoundly altered the injured student’s perception of law enforcement; he expressed newfound appreciation for their courage and dedication.
The rescue operation culminated in the arrest of two kidnappers, while three others were reportedly neutralized in a confrontation with security forces during a raid along the Sagamu-Abeokuta Expressway. Police recovered an AK-47 rifle, ammunition, and a substantial amount of cash from the suspects’ hideout.
The Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, commended the anti-kidnapping unit for their sustained efforts in intelligence gathering and coordinated operations leading to the successful rescue of the students.
