Two killed as police, kidnappers clash in Lagos forest

Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command have killed two yet-to-be-identified hoodlums during a gun battle with suspected kidnappers in a forest at Imota-Emuren, in the Ikorodu area of the state.

The state Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, who disclosed this during a press briefing on Thursday at the command headquarters at Ikeja said police also arrested one of the suspects, 25-year-old Peter Thomas.

Odumosu said the forest was notorious for keeping kidnap victims and collecting ransoms.

He noted that the hoodlums once kidnapped a businessman, Lukman Onabanjo, aka Bugon.  The kidnapped victim had since been reunited with his family.

WITHIN NIGERIA had reported that Onabanjo was about to drive into his farm when the kidnappers opened fire, whisked him away and demanded N200m for his release.

CP Odumosu said the police invaded the hideout around 11.50pm on Wednesday, September 29, 2021, after days of intelligence monitoring of the gang.

“In a highly coordinated operation which lasted hours, operatives of the command’s tactical teams, in collaboration with the Imota Police Division, busted the armed gang in its criminal hideout located in the heart of the deep forest.

“The recent kidnapping incidents in the state further invigorated the determination of the command not to allow the criminals to turn the state into a theatre of kidnapping. On sighting the police operatives, the dare-devil kidnappers engaged them in a shootout that lasted for some hours.

“In a determined spirit, the operatives returned the heavy fire. In the ensuing gun battle, two of the suspected armed kidnappers were fatally injured and later gave up the ghost while being conveyed to a hospital for medical attention.

“One was arrested alive. Other members of the gang escaped with bullet wounds. Manhunt and security onslaught have been emplaced for their arrest. The suspect arrested is identified as Peter Thomas, 25, of no fixed address,” he said.

Odumosu stated that exhibits recovered from the gang included two AK-47 rifles, three AK-47 magazines with 46 live ammunition, a dagger, N10, 000, one iTel phone, and one SIM card.