The Oyo State Police Command has rescued a 15-year-old boy abducted in Akinyele Local Government Area and neutralised a suspected kidnapper during a gun battle along the Awe–Iwo Road axis.
The rescued victim, identified as Sumaila Muhammadu, was freed during a coordinated operation involving police operatives and the Oyo Zone Vigilante Group of Nigeria, following intelligence that the kidnappers were demanding ransom for his release.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Olayinka Ayanlade, disclosed this in a statement issued in Ibadan on Sunday.
According to the statement, the command received intelligence on Thursday, October 22, indicating that the suspected kidnappers were holding the teenager after abducting him from the Onidundun area of Akinyele LGA on October 18.
The Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola, subsequently directed operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Section, working with the vigilante group, to locate the suspects and rescue the victim.
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The security team advanced towards the suspects’ location in the Pipeline, Ajagba axis along the Awe–Iwo Road at about 9:30pm, when the suspected kidnappers opened fire, triggering a gun battle.
The police said the operatives rescued the teenager during the confrontation, while one suspected kidnapper was neutralised.
Other members of the gang reportedly fled in different directions with suspected gunshot injuries.
The neutralised suspect was taken to a hospital, where a doctor confirmed his death, while his corpse was deposited at the morgue.
The police said operatives recovered an Android mobile phone and a cutlass during the operation, adding that the items would form part of the ongoing investigation.
The command urged residents of the Awe–Iwo Road axis and neighbouring communities to report anyone with suspicious gunshot wounds, warning that the fleeing suspects might seek medical attention.
It also appealed to medical practitioners, hospital administrators and other healthcare workers to notify the police of anyone presenting with gunshot injuries suspected to be connected to the incident.
The command reaffirmed its commitment to intelligence-led operations and collaboration with other security stakeholders to dismantle kidnapping networks across the state.
It urged residents to provide credible information to support efforts to apprehend the fleeing suspects and prevent further criminal activities.
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