Police Launch Operation Kósàyè, Rescue Five Kidnap Victims, Neutralise Four Suspects Along Lagos-Ogun Border
The Nigeria Police Force has officially launched Operation Kósàyè, a joint security initiative involving the Lagos and Ogun State Police Commands to dismantle kidnapping syndicates and other violent criminal groups operating in border communities between both states.
The operation recorded its first major success with the rescue of five kidnap victims less than 24 hours after they were abducted along the Ijebu-Ode-Benin Expressway. During the rescue mission, four suspected kidnappers were killed in a gun battle, while another suspect escaped with gunshot wounds.
Police also arrested four additional suspected kidnappers and 84 other criminal suspects during separate operations across the Lagos-Ogun corridor. Recovered items included AK-47 rifles, pump-action guns, locally made pistols, ammunition, mobile phones and other communication devices.
Speaking while parading the suspects at the Police Training College in Iperu-Remo, Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, explained that Operation Kósàyè, a Yoruba phrase meaning “there is no hiding place,” was initiated by the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to flush out kidnappers, armed robbers and other violent criminals from forests and border communities linking Lagos and Ogun states.
According to him, the operation covers major flashpoints from Kara and the Long Bridge through Sagamu, Ogere and Ijebu-Ode to adjoining communities in Ikorodu and Epe.
“Criminal hideouts have been destroyed, illegal shanties dismantled and several suspects arrested. We want to reassure residents that there is currently no Nigerian being held captive by kidnappers within Lagos or Ogun States,” Ojajuni said.
He added that police operatives swiftly responded to the recent abduction along the Ijebu-Ode corridor, successfully rescuing all five victims from the forest.
He urged residents to continue supporting security agencies with credible intelligence, particularly information on suspected kidnappers and individuals receiving treatment for gunshot wounds.
Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Tijani, described the operation as a sustained security campaign rather than a one-time exercise. He said criminal gangs had taken advantage of thick forests along the Lagos-Ogun border to establish camps used for launching attacks on commuters and residents.
He disclosed that modern surveillance technology, including drones, alongside intelligence gathering, was being deployed to deny criminals safe havens.
Tijani attributed the success of the operation to the leadership of the Inspector-General of Police and the logistical support provided by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun.
One of the rescued victims, pharmacist Usofor Amarachi, narrated that she was returning from her father’s burial in Oraifite, Anambra State, when gunmen attacked their vehicle near Ogbere.
She said the kidnappers shot her widowed mother in the hand before abducting her and an aunt into the forest, where they demanded an initial ransom of N70 million, later reducing it to N20 million.
“We spent the night in the open without food or water. When we heard gunshots, we thought the kidnappers had returned, but it was the police coming to rescue us. I will forever remain grateful to the Nigeria Police,” she said.
Another rescued victim, Temi Faith, said the attackers ambushed their vehicle around 4 p.m., collected their phones and money, and forced them deep into the forest where they met other captives.
“I had already lost hope and prayed what I believed would be my last prayer before the police rescued us,” she recalled.
Farmer Jimoh Gbadamosi, who was travelling from Edo State in another vehicle, said the kidnappers attacked multiple vehicles around Ogbere and abducted several passengers.
He commended the police for the rescue and appealed to the Federal Government to provide security agencies with more sophisticated weapons and establish permanent security posts along the Ijebu-Ode-Benin Expressway.
An emotional moment occurred when Blessing Nsofor, who escaped after sustaining a gunshot wound during the attack, arrived from the hospital to thank the officers. Kneeling before the police, she expressed gratitude for saving her family.
“I will never speak against the police again. Without them, I don’t know what would have happened to me, my daughters and my sister. They saved our lives, and I remain eternally grateful,” she said.
Relatives of the rescued victims were reportedly still making efforts to raise the ransom demanded by the kidnappers before learning of their successful rescue.
The victims also appealed for the return of police checkpoints along the Ijebu-Ode-Benin Expressway and urged the Federal Government to clear overgrown bushes along the highway to improve visibility and strengthen security.
